Jaime Moreno's Final Match With D.C. United
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 13, 2025 10:24 PM EDT
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PrintSteven Goff started the crusade. I'm going to take it further.
Jaime Moreno's last match as a member of D.C. United will not be televised. It's a travesty. It's borderline hypocrisy. At the very least, it's a damn shame.
Comcast Sportsnet is only carrying 15 United matches this season, and next Saturday's finale against Toronto FC isn't one of them. Goff gives an excuse for CSN that they didn't know it would be Moreno's last match when they announced their broadcast schedule before the season, but didn't most of us figure that 2010 would be Moreno's final season anyway? And the past two seasons, United was fighting for the final playoff spot on the last match of the season. Shouldn't all parties involved do the best they can to make sure that match is on television every year?
And this comes after the team already forced Moreno to leave sooner than he had intended. "It's time" was the quote from Kevin Payne.
Where is the uproar?
And where is the promotion for this match?
This should be one of the grandest events in D.C. sports this year, and I haven't yet seen a single advertisement for it. Sure, the team is promoting it heavily on their own website, but not anywhere else. How are the casual sports fans supposed to know about it? There must be plenty of folks who have been to a United match or two in the past, but don't follow the team closely, and want the chance to see Jaime Moreno for a final time in person.
DCU should be doing so much more. Read on as I dive deeper into the hypocrisy after the break.
Want to really have fun with this story? Let's travel back to March 9, 2025 when United and Comcast Sportsnet announced their "unsurpassed coverage" via press release.
"United fans may again look forward to a full slate of regionally televised games courtesy of our friends at Comcast SportsNet," said United President and CEO Kevin Payne. "We feel that our club is headed for a great season ahead and no one will bring you closer to the action than our long-term television broadcast partners."
Hmm... 15 games sounds a bit short of a "full slate" to me. It's almost as if the team and their "long-term television broadcast partner" haven't made much of an effort to increase their coverage over the previous years. Other teams in the league work with their broadcast partners to ensure every single match is televised. Is this yet another category where D.C. is falling behind the rest of the league?
"We are proud to serve as the official television home of United, one of the most-storied franchises in the region, and look forward to delivering comprehensive coverage of their upcoming season on our network," said Comcast SportsNet Senior Vice President and General Manager Rebecca Schulte.
Comprehensive. Definition: including all, including everything, so as to be complete.
Ok then. Ms. Schulte continues...
"Our partnership with United, which has an incredibly loyal and far-reaching fan base, highlights our dedication to providing area fans with the most extensive and compelling sports programming available."
What could possibly be more compelling than the greatest player in league history playing his final match, with the local team, in front of tens of thousands of fans. The tributes from the supporters' groups alone will be incredibly compelling. CSN is broadcasting a regular season Capitals game next Saturday night. I love the Caps too, and I totally understand the urge to broadcast a Caps game over a United game for ratings reasons. So perhaps a better description would be "our dedication to providing area fans with the coverage that earns us the most money."
This is an ugly situation. Fortunately, we've got a week and a half to correct it.
D.C. United needs to give fans who cannot attend in person a way to watch this match. The organization owes it to Jaime, and they owe it to his fans. If there are no other television options, show it on dcunited.com.
Other teams in this league have given their fans refunds after a poor home performance. And yet D.C. United can have the worst season in its history, and still force its fans to pay money to see the best player in its history play his final match ever for the team he helped build.
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Agree but.........
For what it’s worth CSN devotes more air time to United than any radio or TV outlet in our area. Washington Post Live has regular segments on DC United and to my knowledge no other radio or TV show (other than CSN Post Game Live) in our area can say that.
I totally agree that CSN should make this happen on CSN+ next week but CSN is a business and truthfully United’s TV ratings are marginal at best. I wish it weren’t true but the Texas A & M/Kansas football game slated for CSN+ next week at that time will probably get better ratings than the United game would. Maybe another possible alternative would be for MLS to step in and offer the game for free in our area on DirectKick and mlssoccer.com. If they can blackout games on these services then I’m certain they could offer a freeview as well. Although I subscribe to DirectKick I’ll be at the game next weekend so truthfully I can’t get real worked up about this but for the sake of others I hope something happens. Vamos United!
by Croftonpost on Oct 14, 2025 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
Great idea
MLS stepping up and making this game free via Direct Kick nationwide would be a great way to show respect to Moreno.
You’re thinking outside the box. United needs to do the same.
Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 14, 2025 5:29 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I can't say I'm surprised
Comcast signaled their intentions at the beginning of the season, leaving DC without TV coverage so that they could cover the Caps instead. That’s not shocking; the Caps are a big deal nowadays. It still bothers me, though, that Comcast had the gall to talk about “comprehensive” coverage yet more or less ignored DCU in for the first 6 weeks of the season and now in October as well. I was glad that they’ve stepped up their online coverage through Sebastian Salazar and Russ Thaler, but I don’t think we follow the team to watch practice reports. Those are supplemental pieces, and they don’t make up for tossing the team aside.
by ChestRockwell on Oct 14, 2025 12:42 PM EDT reply actions
Not so sure about this....
I’m die-hard DCU and a complete homer and think Jaime Moreno is a living legend. But the reality is that soccer is still small-time sports. I’m not sure that Moreno’s last game for DC is really going to register for those who aren’t pretty hardcore. And I certainly wouldn’t expect a Comcast programming exec to have connected all those dots back in March (or whenever.)
I am constantly disappointed by situations like this but that’s because I love soccer and DC United - but I am well aware that most folks around here do not, and can’t get too fired up when that fact plays out.
Those in the DC area should make every effort to go to the game. I do feel bad for those diehards who don’t live in the area though.
"Everyone's laughing, and riding, and cornholing except Buster."
by GDopplerXT on Oct 14, 2025 5:09 PM EDT reply actions
All of this is true, but who cares?
I realize full well that United’s ratings, after 3 playoff-free seasons, are dismal. From a business perspective, it’s no surprise at all that CSN is looking out for their bottom dollar. The fact that we’re still sitting here with no TV coverage for the longest tenured DC athlete’s final game in DC only serves to highlight how disappointing the last 3 seasons have been.
I still don’t care. At a certain point, support becomes irrational, and this is one of those points. When Comcast tells me that they’re going to offer up amazing coverage of DC United, I take that at face value. Failing to televise what is, all things considered, one of the most significant nights in club history is a failure to meet those promises. I know it would require bad business for them to meet those guarantees, but I could not care less about CSN’s bottom line. What I care about is DC United, and CSN is letting DCU down.
by ChestRockwell on Oct 15, 2025 2:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Regardless of the CSN situation, DC united has not played Moreno much in the past few months. I have been more disappointed with that than I am about his last game not being locally televised.
by DCUFaninMissouri on Oct 14, 2025 5:59 PM EDT reply actions
I understand your sentiment, but I can’t say I agree. You should put your best 11 on the field despite how the season is going and Moreno is easily not the best 11 when most people are healthy and physically here. Giving a start to Moreno doesn’t help Allsopp, Cristman, or anybody else who would start in his position and at least Allsopp and the others has the potential of being here next season, Moreno does not.
Playing him just because it’s his last season may be good karma, but it’s not good soccer. At least in my opinion.
by HobbesLionheart on Oct 14, 2025 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Sentiment is all we have this season...
I agree that starting Moreno would not help Allsopp, Cristman, etc… but they haven’t exactly made a case with their quality of play for starting either. Besides, all I said was that I wish I could have watched him play more this season, not that he would have been the best option for the team.
by DCUFaninMissouri on Oct 15, 2025 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions
And the past two seasons, United was fighting for the final playoff spot on the last match of the season. Shouldn’t all parties involved do the best they can to make sure that match is on television every year?
To me, this is a strong point although irrelevant at this time. Not to show the last game where we could have clinched the supporter’s shield or advance to the playoff shows a lack of confidence in DC United. One must wonder if DC United asked that they don’t televise the last game so that people would turn out instead of staying home and watching TV especially when its cold outside. Nevertheless, there should be a build up towards the end of the season. I can understand CSN not televising our games in April and May when they are not that important and Caps are ending their season, but I would look at the bigger picture that that CSN basically felt the last game of the season was not that critical or important to watch even back in March.
by HobbesLionheart on Oct 14, 2025 10:12 PM EDT reply actions
The broader issue
Is that D.C. United is falling behind the rest of the league in TV coverage. Just like they’re falling behind the rest of the league in foreign player evaluation and stadium facilities. I’ve heard before that fans in Seattle and Toronto can watch every match on TV. United needs to be working towards that goal.
Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.
by Martin Shatzer on Oct 15, 2025 11:04 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Stadium
I believe that a stadium deal is the primary concern. IMO, it will create revenue, enthusiasm, and momentum that will carry over to other concerns you mention. Right now it is all about the stadium for DC United.
by Croftonpost on Oct 15, 2025 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
It also helps...
that Toronto and Seattle are putting butts in seats. There has seemed to be a lack of butts at RFK this season. Certainly hurts our ability to try to get more advert and tv money. Also hurts our case for a new stadium.
by DCUFaninMissouri on Oct 15, 2025 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Speaking of a stadium...
Can anyone honestly say that we are even remotely close to that dream? There doesn’t seem to be anyone interested in bankrolling it or touching it politically (except for the fans). I hate to even think it, but if DCU wants a new stadium, they may have to go to Baltimore or worse. Here’s a bit of conspiracy for ya: Did you ever see the movie Major League? Sometimes I felt when watching DC this season that the product put on the field was to drive people away from the games. I mean, we couldn’t be this bad could we?!? Maybe this season was all about a buyout somewhere….[and no, I don’t really believe that].
by DCUFaninMissouri on Oct 15, 2025 8:52 PM EDT reply actions
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