WDRB explains NFL scheduling choices after fan feedback

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some WDRB viewers were upset over the choice of NFL games aired on Fox on Sunday.

The station was assigned the Minnesota Vikings at the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers at the New Orleans Saints. We heard from a vocal group of Indianapolis Colts fans who felt WDRB should have aired their game against the Seattle Seahawks.

What some may not realize is that Fox assigns each television market the games it will air for the network. WDRB Program Director Harry Beam said the matchups each week are based on the network analysis of which games will produce the largest audience in each market.

On paper, the Vikings and the Bengals are a good draw for Louisville television, according to General Sales Manager Rick Burrice.

"The matchup with the Vikings was traditionally a good game for our audience. Louisville has a lot of Bengals fans, and we rarely get to televise these games as a Fox NFC network," Burrice said. "Add the Vikings to the mix, and we could see why Fox assigned that game to us. The Vikings being part of the old black & blue division and a traditional NFC favorite in our area put that game over the top."

Going into the NFL's week 2, there is another tough choice for WDRB. For Sunday, Sept. 19, Fox has preliminarily assigned WDRB the Cincinnati Bengals at the Chicago Bears for essentially the same reasons. To reinforce that, the Indianapolis Colts face a far west opponent in the Los Angeles Rams.

"It's possible that Fox changes its mind if this past Sunday's Bengals audience didn't deliver," Beam said. "But until then, we are assigned the Bengals game this week."

The final decision isn't official until Wednesday of game week, and WDRB can submit a game change request if the station believes Fox missed the mark on the popularity of a particular matchup.

"They may not know that Louisville has a sizeable Steelers following or that there are a lot of Packer fans held over from Louisville native Paul Hornung's legacy," Beam said. "In the end, they will accept our argument or reject it in the final decision. Fox Sports has a whole team of folks who dissect the ratings in every market each week, so they can be a formidable opponent."