Sox and A’s opener on XM radio

Major League Baseball will open the 2008 regular season on March 25 with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox and Oakland A's in Japan. XM Satellite Radio will air three live broadcasts of the game, including one broadcast in Japanese.

The Red Sox will play the A's in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tokyo Dome at 6:05 am ET. XM will air the Red Sox radio broadcast, the A's broadcast, and a Japanese-language broadcast on three separate channels.

"There is no sport better suited to radio than baseball," said Eric Logan, XM executive vice president, programming. "This year's season opener is especially exciting because the game is being played in Tokyo. With the time difference, a lot of fans will be able to hear the game on XM while they drive to work. This is our fourth season as the official satellite radio network of MLB. Whether you're a Yankees fan living in Los Angeles or a Cubs fan vacationing in Miami, you can hear the games for all thirty teams on your XM radio."

For Opening Night on March 30, the Washington Nationals will play their first game at Nationals Park, their brand-new stadium near the U.S. Capitol. The Nationals will host the Atlanta Braves starting at 8:05 pm ET. XM will air the Nationals broadcast, the Braves broadcast, and the ESPN Radio broadcast of the game. The MLB Home Plate channel will be live from Nationals Park throughout the day.

The traditional Opening Day on March 31 will bring 14 baseball games to the XM roster, starting with the New York Yankees' season opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:05 pm ET. This will be the last Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium, and the MLB Home Plate channel will report live from the site.