Local New Orleans Saints Fans Face Tough Break This Sunday

New Orleans Saints fans in the Shreveport and Bossier City area are waking up to bad news regarding their television coverage for Week 12. Even though the Saints are set to host their bitter rivals, the Atlanta Falcons, the game will not be available on local television listings. It is a scenario that plays out all too often for the Ark-La-Tex, leaving Saints fans scrambling for alternative ways to watch their team.

Will The Saints Game Be On TV In Shreveport?

The answer this week is a frustrating 'no' for local fans. According to the broadcast maps released by 506Sports, the Shreveport market has been assigned the Dallas Cowboys game instead of the New Orleans Saints matchup. Both games are scheduled for the late window on Sunday, November 23rd, with a kickoff time of 3:25PM.

Because the Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in a high-profile NFC East showdown, the network seems to have prioritized that broadcast for the majority of the country. This includes the Shreveport-Bossier City market, which falls into the coverage area for the Cowboys game on FOX. While most of Louisiana will see the Saints and Falcons, the northwest corner of the state will be watching coverage from Arlington.

Fans Will Miss The Return Of Drew Brees

This particular decision stings a little more than usual...because it means missing a piece of franchise history. This Sunday marks the first time legendary quarterback Drew Brees will serve as the color commentator for a New Orleans Saints game on FOX. Brees recently made his debut in the booth, but this would have been the first opportunity for local fans to hear his analysis of the franchise he led to a Super Bowl title.

Instead of hearing Brees call the action against the hated Falcons, Shreveport residents will be listening to Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady call the Cowboys game. The fact people with no connections, or understanding, of local TV markets are making this call means that even though Brees is in the booth for FOX, his voice will not be heard on the local affiliate in Shreveport. It is a harsh reality for fans who were eager to welcome #9 back to the Dome, even if it was just through the television screen.

Who Decides Which NFL Games Are Shown?

It is important to remember that the local TV stations do not have the power to change these schedules. The decisions regarding which games air in specific markets are made by the NFL, and the broadcast networks, at the national level. While a local station could probably inquire about a particular game, they don't get to decide what they're going to air.

Contracts between the league and the networks dictate which games will be offered on which networks. Then the kickoff timing of games will determine which windows Fox and CBS will have each weekend, with alternating weekends usually deciding which network gets 2 games, versus who gets the single game. That's why a network will occasionally miss the early kickoff window, and only feature a late afternoon game.

At the end of the day, this Sunday will be sad for Shreveport area Saints fans, but you can't blame the local station.