Rafael Hernández Brito, Greivis Vásquez, and Carlos Morales Call the Action
Broadcasts Presented by Werner Ladder
NEW YORK, April 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cumulus Media’s (NSDQ: CMLS) Westwood One will provide exclusive audio coverage of the NCAA Men’s Final Four and national championship game in Spanish for the seventh consecutive tournament, presented by Werner Ladder, the official ladder of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships. Westwood One’s Spanish-language broadcasts will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 6 with the 2024 Men’s Final Four live from Phoenix, when the (11) NC State Wolfpack takes on the (1) Purdue Boilermakers. The second national semifinal, between the (4) Alabama Crimson Tide and the defending champion (1) UConn Huskies, will begin 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game. Spanish-language coverage will continue with the national championship game on Monday, April 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Rafael Hernández Brito will once again serve as the play-by-play announcer, his seventh time with the network, while former All-American point guard Greivis Vásquez will return as analyst for the sixth time. For the fourth time, former Puerto Rican National Basketball Team coach Carlos Morales will host the broadcasts.
“Werner is excited to be back again as the presenting sponsor of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four broadcast in Spanish,” said Stacy Gardella, head of global marketing technology & operations for WernerCo. “The Spanish language broadcast enables Werner to reach Hispanic basketball fans while supporting Werner’s position as the official ladder of the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.”
About Westwood One’s Spanish Broadcast Crew
Rafael Hernández Brito, known as Rafa “El Alcalde,” is a veteran broadcaster who has been the Spanish play-by-play voice for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the last eight seasons. Prior to joining the Cavs, he was the Spanish voice of the Brooklyn Nets for two seasons and called St. John’s University basketball. His national broadcast experience includes eight years as the voice of the NFL en Español for Univision, and he has called 11 Super Bowls. He has also done Spanish play-by-play for the Miami Dolphins as well as for Major League Baseball, boxing, and UFC. With the 2015 NBA Finals, he became the first broadcaster in the United States to call the Finals of all three major sports in Spanish. This will be his seventh time calling the NCAA Final Four and national championship game in Spanish for the network.
Greivis Vásquez is one of the most successful Hispanic basketball players ever to wear a uniform. Greivis, a native of Venezuela, was a former All-American point guard at University of Maryland, where he led the Terrapins to three NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, he was named ACC Player of the year, and the winner of the Bob Cousy award, given annually to the best collegiate point guard in the nation. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2010 and played for six teams in his seven years in the league. Greivis has also played for the Venezuelan National Team and led the squad to the 2014 FIBA South American Championship. In 2012, he was honored as a “Champion of Change” at the White House for his efforts as a sports diplomat in the United States and his native Venezuela. This will be Vasquez’ sixth time calling the Final Four and national championship game in Spanish for the network.
Carlos Morales joins Westwood One for the fourth time on the Final Four broadcasts, but third as pregame and halftime host. Morales served as the game analyst in 2021. Morales was on the coaching staff of the Puerto Rican national basketball team for a decade, during which time they participated in two Olympic Games, three world championships, and three Goodwill Games. During his time there, the national team captured five gold medals and seven silver medals in international competitions. He also coached professional basketball in both Venezuela and the Dominican Republic before joining ESPN as a television analyst in 2000. He called the Final Four and national championship game in Spanish for ESPN International from 2005-2018.
Where to Listen
Westwood One’s Final Four coverage can be heard on terrestrial radio stations and via SiriusXM. All three games will also be streamed online for free on westwoodonesports.com. Additionally, the broadcasts will be available for free via the NCAA March Madness mobile app or The Varsity Network app. Fans can also access live audio via Alexa-enabled devices by asking to “Abre Westwood One Sports”. TuneIn premium subscribers can also hear all the action live.
In addition to broadcasting the NCAA Men’s Final Four and national championship game in Spanish for seven years, Westwood One has broadcast the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament since 1982 and every game of March Madness® on multiple platforms since 2005. The network has broadcast the Women’s Final Four and national championship game for more than 25 years.
NCAA, Final Four, and March Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Westwood One is the exclusive broadcast radio, digital audio, distribution, and licensing partner for the NCAA Championships.
About Westwood One Sports
Westwood One Sports is home to some of the most exciting sports broadcasts on radio. In addition to being the exclusive network radio partner to the NFL since 1987 — featuring regular and post-season NFL football, including the playoffs and the Super Bowl — its other extensive properties include NCAA Basketball, including the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments and the Final Four®; The Masters; NCAA Football; and other marquee sports events. Westwood One also distributes and represents CBS Sports Radio. On social media, join the Westwood One Sports community on Facebook at facebook.com/westwoodonesports and X (formerly Twitter) at x.com/westwood1sports. For more information, visit www.westwoodonesports.com.
About Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media (NASDAQ: CMLS) is an audio-first media company delivering premium content to over a quarter billion people every month — wherever and whenever they want it. Cumulus Media engages listeners with high-quality local programming through 401 owned-and-operated radio stations across 85 markets; delivers nationally-syndicated sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming from iconic brands including the NFL, the NCAA, the Masters, CNN, AP News, the Academy of Country Music Awards, and many other world-class partners across more than 9,800 affiliated stations through Westwood One, the largest audio network in America; and inspires listeners through the Cumulus Podcast Network, its rapidly growing network of original podcasts that are smart, entertaining and thought-provoking. Cumulus Media provides advertisers with personal connections, local impact and national reach through broadcast and on-demand digital, mobile, social, and voice-activated platforms, as well as integrated digital marketing services, powerful influencers, full-service audio solutions, industry-leading research and insights, and live event experiences. Cumulus Media is the only audio media company to provide marketers with local and national advertising performance guarantees. For more information visit www.cumulusmedia.com.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola as official corporate champions and the following elite companies as official corporate partners: Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, GEICO, Great Clips, Intuit Turbotax, Invesco QQQ, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, The Home Depot, Unilever and Wendy’s.
