FOX Sports Florida to broadcast 150 Miami Marlins games in 2016

MIAMI -- FOX Sports Florida, the statewide television home of the Miami Marlins, announced the network will produce and televise 150 Marlins regular season games as part of the 2016 Major League Baseball season.

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Opening Day coverage begins live from Marlins Park with a special, one-hour pregame show, starting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, when the Marlins host the Detroit Tigers. Like last year, both home and away game broadcasts will feature half-hour Marlins LIVE pregame shows and all will offer extended postgame coverage from site. Marlins LIVE will originate from Marlins Park for home games, while away games will air from the FOX Sports studio in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Rich Waltz returns this year for his 12th season as play-by-play announcer, alongside a trio of color analysts making their FOX Sports Florida debuts this year. Former Marlins Eduardo Perez and Al Leiter will take turns providing color commentary throughout the season, in addition to five-year FOX Sports Florida Marlins analyst Preston Wilson elevating his role to the broadcast booth.  "Mr. Marlin," former Marlins star Jeff Conine, continues on FOX Sports Florida's broadcast team and will provide expert analysis on Marlins LIVE pre- and postgame shows for all home game broadcasts. Craig Minervini also returns for his 15th season as pregame host and in-game reporter. Former Marlins pitcher Carl Pavano returns as an analyst for his third season, while Jessica Blaylock rounds out the broadcast team in her second season as in-game reporter and host of select "Inside the Marlins" episodes.

In addition to the 150 games on FOX Sports Florida, three Marlins games will be nationally televised on the FOX family of networks. Marlins fans can watch Miami battle the Atlanta Braves on Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m. on FS1, tune in on Saturday, May 21 at 7 p.m. to watch the Marlins face the Washington Nationals on FOX Broadcast network and tune in on Saturday, July 30 at 7 p.m. on FS1 as the Fish square off against the St. Louis Cardinals.

SAP (secondary audio programming) in Spanish will once again be made available for all home game telecasts.

Going beyond just coverage of games, FOX Sports Florida's partnership with the Marlins provides fans with more opportunities to get to know the team and its players.  Seven half-hour episodes of FOX Sports Florida's popular "Inside the Marlins" are planned this year and will include player and coaches profiles, with exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and interviews, plus episodes offering inside access to other aspects of the team and its operations.

"Marlins Clubhouse," a magazine style television series aimed at showcasing stories in and around Marlins baseball, returns for a second season on the network. Hosted by Preston Wilson, "Marlins Clubhouse" will premiere new episodes on the first Friday of every month before the start of the Marlins LIVE pregame show on the network. "Marlins Clubhouse" will target and engage young baseball viewers, with an emphasis on kids ages 13 to 18, by highlighting local baseball success stories. Episodes will include segments ranging from Coaches Corner to South Florida's Rising Stars.

Be sure to tune in and follow @FOXMarlins on Twitter and Instagram, and visit FOXSportsFlorida.com for channel listings and exclusive Marlins coverage.

About FOX Sports Florida / FOX SPORTS SUN

FOX Sports Florida & FOX Sports Sun are the regional television homes of the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Heat, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Orlando Magic. The regional sports networks are available in more than 6.5 million cable & satellite homes across the state. FOX Sports Florida and FOX Sports Sun are committed to making a positive impact in the communities we serve by engaging our audiences and providing award winning TV  and web coverage of Florida's hometown sports teams. For more information, channel listings and how you can get involved with FOX Sports Florida / FOX Sports Sun, visit  www.foxsportsflorida.com.