FSD joins Fox 2 as new Lions broadcast partners

The Lions on Thursday announced their multi-year partnership with WJBK (Channel 2) as the local Fox affiliate that will air the team's preseason games, which The Detroit News reported two weeks ago.

In addition to the team's deal with WJBK, the Lions will also have more air time on Fox Sports Detroit.

The team announced that FSD will help Fox 2 produce the preseason games, along with the pre- and post-game segments. FSD will also re-air the games.

In 2015, Fox 2 will broadcast three of the Lions' preseason games. The other -- Aug. 28 at Jacksonville -- will be televised nationally on CBS. WXYZ (Channel 7) aired Lions preseason games since 2011, but the station and the team opted out of their contract in April.

Fox 2 has not yet determined who will announce the games, though station sports director and Lions radio play-by-play announcer Dan Miller will likely be a part of the broadcast team.

In addition to Fox 2 airing a pre-game show during the regular season, FSD will now air a post-game show each week, and coach Jim Caldwell's Monday news conference will air on the cable network, too.

FSD, of course, already has partnerships with the Pistons, Red Wings and Tigers.

"Partnering with Fox 2 and Fox Sports Detroit will expand our presence on the local station that broadcasts many of our regular-season games along with the most comprehensive sports network in Michigan," Lions president Tom Lewand said in a statement. "Lions fans will a have greater opportunity to view our TV programming than ever before."

jkatzenstein@detroitnews.com

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LIONS PRESEASON SCHEDULE

Thu., Aug. 13: New York Jets, 7:30p.m. (WJBK Fox 2)

Thu., Aug. 20: at Washington, 7:30 p.m. (WJBK Fox 2)

Fri., Aug. 28: at Jacksonville, 8 p.m. (CBS)

Thu., Sept. 3: Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. (WJBK Fox 2)