Why Can’t I Hear The Seahawks Super Bowl Game On KPQ In Wenatchee?

Where will the Seahawks Super Bowl broadcast with Steve Raible be heard, and why won't The Big Game be on KPQ? 

Seahawks fans are rejoicing in the team's fourth Super Bowl appearance coming up on February 8th versus the New England Patriots.

The matchup reminds 12s of perhaps the darkest moment in team history: the 28-24 loss to New England in the closing moments of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.

Steve Raible's call on the radio broadcast will forever break our hearts when Malcolm Butler intercepted Russell Wilson at the goal line, ending Seattle's hope for back-to-back Super Bowl wins.

Get our free mobile app

But you didn't hear Raible that day on KPQ, the heritage Seahawks station in North Central Washington.

And you won't hear Raible or Dave Wyman on KPQ again during Super Bowl LX, which leaves many fans asking, "Why can't I hear the Seahawks on KPQ? "

You may have noticed KPQ didn't broadcast the Seahawk's NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams to earn Seattle's berth in Super Bowl LX

No, we didn't forget to carry the game.  We weren't permitted to air the broadcast due to contractual reasons most fans are probably unaware of.

NewsRadio 560 KPO is a Seahawks Radio Network affiliate and part of the network of local stations around the Pacific Northwest and Alaska that carry the Seahawks games through the team's flagship station, Seattle Sports 710.

Every year Seattle makes the NFL playoffs, Seahawks Radio Network affiliates are alerted that the team's broadcast rights only extend through the Divisional Round of the playoffs.  If Seattle earns a playoff berth, KPQ and other local affiliates are allowed to broadcast their games in the Wild Card and Divisional Round, but if the team advances to the Conference Championship, local stations cannot air the game unless they make a separate agreement with the networks holding the broadcast rights.  The restriction extends to the Super Bowl game as well.

ESPN and Westwood One (CBS/NBC Sports) have the exclusive network rights to those broadcasts, with the exception provided to Seattle Sports 710, Seattle's flagship station.

Why can't KPQ make arrangements with ESPN or Westwood One (WW1) and broadcast the games if the Hawks make a deep playoff run?  It's not for a lack of trying.

Unfortunately, another radio station in the Wenatchee market has the ESPN and WW1 rights because they agree to air every primetime NFL game.  That's every NFL game on Thursday, Sunday, and Monday Night Football.  For KPQ Radio to secure the opportunity to air the Conference Championship and Super Bowl games, we would have to do the same, even when those games are terrible, like Tennessee vs. the NY Jets, Las Vegas against the Saints, or whatever the schedule brings!

So therein lies the rub: KPQ would have to broadcast 4 games per week, all season long, including our beloved Seahawks, and preempt some Wenatchee Wild and Cashmere High School sports broadcasts.  That's IF our broadcast competitors decided to not carry those games all season as they have for decades.

To date, that has not been the case, dating back to the Seahawk's first Super Bowl run in 2006.  Remember the game when the referees wore yellow and black stripes!

But we will try again next year because 12s know there is plenty more success to come for the Seahawks.

How Can I Hear Steve Raible Call The Seahawks Game In The Super Bowl?

A simple solution to follow the big game with the Seahawks' Steve Raible and Dave Wyman is to download the free Seattle Sports app.  The live stream won't be in sync with the TV broadcast, but if you are traveling and not watching the game on TV, give it a try and enjoy the Seattle perspective.

The Super Bowl in Santa Clara, CA, is on Sunday, Feb. 8th, at 3:30PM on NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.

The pre-game should start any minute!

GO HAWKS!