RailRiders & My Network TV Ink Five-Year TV Deal

MOOSIC, Pa. - NEPA's boys of summer have yet another new home.  In addition to the $43 million reconstructed PNC Field, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Triple-A/New York Yankees) will have 20 of their home games televised throughout the region on WQMY My Network TV in year one of a five-year deal.

The Voice of the RailRiders, John Sadak, will handle the play-by-play for all 20 telecasts.  Sadak will be joined by FOX56 sports director Bob Ide as the primary analyst.  Several other FOX56 personalities, including John Mendola and Erin Dugan, will also join the telecasts throughout the season.

"We could not be more excited to partner with the good folks at My Network TV and FOX56 for the next five years," said Rob Crain, president/general manager of the RailRiders. "This media partnership only enhances our connection to the NEPA baseball fans right here in our own backyard."

The broadcast schedule gets underway on April 19 with a divisional foe in the Syracuse Chiefs (Washington Nationals).  It coincides with the start of the RailRiders' second homestand of the campaign.  Seventeen of the 20 games on the broadcast docket fall on the high-draw nights of Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Furthermore, 10 different opponents populate the ledger including at least one game against each of SWB's North Division brethren.

"This partnership is the perfect collaboration of one of this area's most popular sports franchises and the station which carries more sports than any other broadcaster in the market," said Jon Cadman, general manager of WOLF and WQMY.

My Network TV serves nearly 600,000 households in the nation's 54^th-largest television market.  My Network TV is the home to Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees baseball, ACC football and basketball, and Big East football and basketball.  Locally WQMY produces over 50 live sporting events a year including Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey, NEPA Miners football, high school and local college football, basketball, baseball, softball, track, soccer, lacrosse and many more sports.  College partners include Misericordia, Marywood, King's, Wilkes, Keystone and Lackawanna.  In the early 2000s, SWB baseball games aired on WQMY's sister station, WSWB.

The RailRiders' 2013 season gets underway with the grand opening of a reconstructed PNC Field on April 4 when the defending IL champion Pawtucket Red Sox come to town for a rematch of their 2012 playoff clash with SWB.  It will mark the first "Thirsty Thursday" promotion of the year with $1 beer specials and $1 Pepsi products along with a pre-game live band performance and post-game fireworks.  Single-game tickets are on sale now.

2013 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders Broadcast Schedule - My Network TV WQMY

Friday, April 19 vs. Syracuse Chiefs 7:00 p.m.

Friday, May 10 vs. Gwinnett Braves 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 11 vs. Gwinnett Braves 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 23 vs. Durham Bulls 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 25 vs. Durham Bulls 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, June 5 vs. Syracuse Chiefs 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 8 vs. Buffalo Bisons 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 22 vs. Norfolk Tides (Game 2) 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 4 vs. Buffalo Bisons 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 6 vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, July 10 vs. Rochester Red Wings 7:00 p.m.

Friday, July 12 vs. Syracuse Chiefs 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 18 vs. Louisville Bats 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 20 vs. Louisville Bats 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 25 vs. Toledo Mud Hens 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 3 vs. Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 10 Buffalo Bisons 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 17 vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 24 vs. Pawtucket Red Sox 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 28 vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs 7:00 p.m.