Yes, the Saints Game is On TV This Week in Shreveport (Here’s Why)
New Orleans Saints fans in the Shreveport and Bossier City market are going to get a chance to see their team play this week. The team's Week 10 road game against the Carolina Panthers will not be aired on local television this Sunday, November 9th.
After a season of tough losses, and broadcast map frustrations, New Orleans Saints fans in the Ark-La-Tex will get to see this game on local TV this Sunday. The 1-8 Saints are on the road, but they are not blacked out, giving local fans a chance to see the team's new rookie quarterback in his second-ever start.
Will the Saints Game Be on TV in Shreveport This Week?
Yes. The short answer is yes. According to the broadcast maps from 506Sports, the Shreveport-Bossier market is scheduled to receive the New Orleans Saints game. The Saints are traveling to play the Carolina Panthers in the early window, which means a noon kickoff in Shreveport.
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You can catch the entire game on the Shreveport market's local FOX affiliate. This is a welcome change for local fans who have been stuck watching a different "national" game, even when the Cowboys aren't playing.
This is really important, because even when the Saints are bad, their fans love them. They want to be able to watch there team, even if they expect a loss.
What to Watch For: A Tale of Two Teams
This divisional matchup is actually a pretty interesting one, even if the Saints' record isn't. All eyes will be on rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, who is making his second career start. He showed some flashes last week and got his first NFL touchdown, so the big question is whether he can build on that performance and give this offense any kind of spark.
He's facing a tough test, though. The Carolina Panthers, led by their own young QB Bryce Young, are one of the league's biggest surprises and are sitting at 5-4. This is a classic divisional battle between a team that's struggling (Saints) and a team that's on a surprise winning streak (Panthers). It's the perfect game to see what Shough is made of, or at least get him some confidence.
Who Decides If Shreveport Gets the Saints or Cowboys?
This is the question that comes pretty much every week, and it's all about how the networks see our market. The decision on which games air is not made by the local folks at KMSS...it's made at the highest levels by the NFL and the broadcast networks, meaning FOX, ESPN, and CBS. They have complex contracts that determine who sees what.
Shreveport is in a unique...and often frustrating...spot. Because the networks see the market as a "split market." They believe there are just as many Dallas Cowboys fans here as there are Saints fans. Often, that means we get the Cowboys game by default. But this week, with the Cowboys on a bye, the network decision-makers have pointed the satellite truck our way and are giving the Ark-La-Tex the Saints.
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So, for this Sunday, Saints fans in Shreveport-Bossier are in luck. Get the snacks ready and tune in at noon.