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How to watch the Utah Royals home opener

Krysyan Edler
·3 min read
Towels marking the return of the National Women’s Soccer League team, the Utah Royals, hang on the backs of chairs during a news conference by the Real Salt Lake ownership at America First Field in Sandy on March 11, 2023.
Towels marking the return of the National Women’s Soccer League team, the Utah Royals, hang on the backs of chairs during a news conference by the Real Salt Lake ownership at America First Field in Sandy on March 11, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

The Utah Royals kick off their first season since 2020 on Saturday against the Chicago Red Stars.

The team originally played in Utah from 2018 to 2020 before it was sold and relocated back to Kansas City. In 2023, the National Women’s Soccer League announced the Royals would return to Utah, according to the team’s website.

If you missed out on securing tickets to the sold-out game, here is your guide to watching from home:

When is the Utah Royals first game?

The Utah Royals will play their first match of the 2024 NWSL season on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. MDT.

Where can I watch the Utah Royals home opener?

The Utah Royals’ match against the Chicago Red Stars will be broadcast on ION on Saturday. The ION channel can be found at the following channels in the Salt Lake City-metropolitan area, according to ION:

  • Comcast: 648.

  • Comcast: 1016.

  • Google Fiber: 16.

  • TDS Telecommunications LLC: 19.

  • DISH: 250.

  • DIRECTV: 305

The match can also be streamed on the following streaming platforms:

  • CW.

  • freevee.

  • frndlyTV.

  • fuboTV.

  • Google TV.

  • plex.

  • Pluto TV.

  • Roku Channel.

  • tubi.

  • YouTube TV.

Which networks or streaming platforms will broadcast Utah Royals games this season?

The 2024 season will be the first year of the team’s four-year media rights deal with ESPN, CBS Sports, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps Sports, according to USA Today.

The National Women’s Soccer League has also launched its own streaming service, NWSL+, which will allow fans to watch games that aren’t nationally televised for free. The app can be found on Apple TV, Roku and FireTV, according to the NWSL.

Utah will have 15 nationally televised games this season. Here is a schedule of the Utah Royals nationally televised games:

  • March 16: Utah vs. Chicago Red Stars at 5:30 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • April 20: Utah at Racing Louisville FC at 3 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • May 8: Utah at San Diego Wave at 8 p.m. MDT on CBSSN.

  • May 17: Utah at North Carolina Courage at 6 p.m. MDT on Prime Video.

  • May 25: Utah vs. Kansas City Current at 8 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • June 8: Utah vs. Washington Spirit at 5:30 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • June 16: Utah at Bay FC at 8 p.m. MDT on CBSSN.

  • June 21: Utah at Orlando Pride at 6 p.m. MDT on Prime Video.

  • June 29: Utah vs. Portland Thorns FC at 8 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • Aug. 31: Utah at Houston Dash at 7:30 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • Sept. 7: Utah at Kansas City Current at 5:30 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • Sept. 14: Utah vs. San Diego Wave at 8 p.m. MDT on ION.

  • Sept. 22: Utah at Gotham FC at 11 a.m. on ESPN2.

  • Oct. 5: Utah at Portland Thorns FC at 8 p.m. on ION.

  • Oct. 13: Utah vs. Seattle Reign at 3 p.m. MDT ESPN2.