You have a better chance of getting a ticket to see the sold-out Cowboys-Saints game at the Louisiana Superdome than watching the game on TV if you live outside the New Orleans market.
It feels like the NFL runs into this problem every year. What seemed like a non-important game when scheduled back in the Spring becomes an important game that a lot of people will not be able to watch if they live outside the New Orleans market.
All because the NFL wants you to watch their horrible, lowly-rated NFL Network.
Why is this different than Monday Night Football on ESPN?
This is different because ESPN is available on every cable outlet in the country and all you need is a subscription to standard analog cable. The NFL network is on a handful of cable outlets that require a subscription to digital cable that requires a set-top box.
NFL makes money on the monthly subscription fees, the cable outlet make money on renting out the box.
And then the public backlash erupts.
UPDATE: Cox cable will air the NFL Network on cable channel 20 in Baton Rouge area only.
So what are your options of seeing the game outside the New Orleans market? The further away from New Orleans, the lower your percentage gets of actually watching it.
– Southeast Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf Coast (New Orleans) –
Houma/Thibodeaux, the North Shore and some Mississippi Gulf coast counties (Pearl River, Hancock and Harrison) that do not get the NFL network can watch the game (as well as in High-Definition – if available) on WGNO-DT as the NFL requires a local broadcast station to carry the game.
– Baton Rouge/southwest Louisiana –
ABC affiliate WBRZ-DT tried and was denied to get the NFL to allow the station to broadcast the game in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, LA. Even with the denial, there are options available:
– Baton Rouge/Lafayette metro (Cox)/ ch. 241
– Lafayette (LUS)/ ch. 38
– Gonzales (Eatel) / ch. 165 49
– The game will not be shown in the Lake Charles, LA area as NFL network is not on Suddenlink as well as Morgan City, LA as Allen’s Cable TV does not carry WGNO-DT nor the NFL Network
– Play-by-play is available on radio stations: WYPY-FM 100.7 (Baton Rouge), KQKI-FM 95.3 (Morgan City), KMDL-FM 97.3 (Lafayette) and KAOK-AM 1400 (Lake Charles)
– Louisiana –
– Shreveport (Comcast)/ ch. 736
– Monroe (Comcast)/ ch. 736
– The game will not be available on cable outlets that have Suddenlink (Alexandria, Natchitoches and Ruston)
– Play-by-play is available on radio stations: KZMZ-FM 96.9 (Alexandria), KWKH-AM 1130 (Shreveport), KMLB-AM 540 (Monroe), KRLQ-FM 94.1 (Ruston)
– Mississippi –
– Jackson, MS (Comcast)/ ch. 736
– Hattiesburg (Comcast)/ ch. 180
– Laurel (Comcast)/ ch. 180
– Meridian (Comcast)/ ch. 180
– Game not available on Suddenlink in Greenville, MS
– Tupelo (Comcast)/ ch. 180
– Gulfport/Biloxi (CableOne)/ ch. 8; Not shown in Jackson County, MS
– Play-by-play is available on radio stations: WWL-AM/FM 870/105.3 (New Orleans), WPMP-AM 1580 (Pascagoula), WMXI-FM (98.1) Hattiesburg/Laurel, WXHB-FM (96.5) Hattiesburg, WJDX-AM (620) Jackson, MS, WHNY-AM (1250) McComb, WMOX-AM (1010) Meridian, WGVM-AM (1260) Greenville (MS)
– Alabama –
– Mobile, AL (Comcast)/ ch. 180
– MediaComm cable subscribers can not see the game
– Play-by-play is available on radio station: WNSP-FM 105.5 (Mobile)
– Florida Gulf Coast –
– Pensacola/Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, FL (Cox Cable)/ ch. 331
– MediaComm (Santa Rosa County) does not have NFL Network
– Play-by-play is available on radio stations: WCOA-AM 1370 (Pensacola), WZNF-AM 1400 (Fort Walton Beach)
There are other options available if your cable outlet does not carry the NFL Network. DirecTV and DISH Network carry the channel as well as on AT&T U-verse. The game will also be available on SiriusXM on channel 102. You can also listen online through the New Orleans Saints radio network on the NFL Field Pass.
If you fit into the I’m-cheap-and-don’t-want-to-spend-more-money-just-to-watch-one-game, you can watch the game online at NFL.com. Just keep in mind that the game won’t be in real-time but on a several minute broadcasting delay.