Clark Hunt announced at the fan forum tonight that the Columbus Crew made the long rumored switch to Fox Sports Ohio for this year's TV contract. All games will be shown in HD across the FSO coverage area.
Crew games now have a regional broadcast partner and can be seen in more areas than ever before. Fox Sports Ohio's programming covers Ohio and extends into the Detroit area, over to Indianapolis, Northern Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pittsburgh. FSO is also included on Direct TV and Dish Network programing.
This is a big change from the team's deal with ONN. Picture quality was poor throughout ONN's contract and the station was not available in all markets in Ohio or on any satellite provider. The Crew is now on a station that is sports outlet with a high profile throughout the state.
Fans no longer have to subscribe to the Direct Kick package and face the horror of hearing the insights of Marcello Balboa, Shep Messing, or Allan Hopkins as you watch Crew games. You can now be assured of hearing the dulcet tones of Mr. Dwight Burgess and the Crew's favorite Kiwi, Duncan Oughton.