PRIME-TIME LOVE ON ROAD
Posted by on April 19, 2013 – 9:43 amOn numerous occasions during the club’s successful run from 1999-2010, networks were a bit hesitant to put the Colts on national telecasts at home because of how well the team played and for the potential of a lop-sided finish.
Networks want close games, something for which fault cannot be found.
With the 2013 schedule out, Indianapolis is back in prime-time on a prominent basis. Last year found the club playing but once in prime-time, snapping a 13-year run where Indianapolis had at least three nationally-televised appearances.
From 2005-11, the Colts had at least four regular-season prime-time games.
Each network that televises in prime-time has the Colts this year. NBC has games on October 20 against Denver and November 3 at Houston.
The Denver game is the club’s only home prime-time outing this year, unless a later one gets flexed.
The battle between the Colts and Broncos, featuring Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning, no doubt was a terrific arm wrestle that came down to NBC and CBS. Had CBS won, the game would have been in the late afternoon slot to draw a tremendous audience.
ESPN has the Colts playing at San Diego, a Monday-Nighter on October 14 that provides the Colts only six days to mend before hosting Denver.
The final prime-time game will be at Tennessee on November 14. The NFL Network has the call, a game it also covered in the venue in 2010, a battle won by the Colts, 30-28, on the way to a ninth straight playoff berth.
This will be the sixth straight year the Colts have played a division opponent in November or December on the NFL Network, and the Colts are 5-0 in those outings. Four of those five games were road affairs for the Colts.
For now, no complaints. One home prime-time game is better than none. Four total such games is a gesture to a good year by the club and the hope that more than one good season in a row is in order.
Colts fans have seven 1:00 p.m. ET games, and they arrive in full voice regardless.
Tags: Andrew Luck, indianapolis colts
Posted in Colts Blog