New England Patriots announce changes to preseason broadcasts

We've all heard plenty of complaints about preseason football, although it has primarily related to the cost of tickets for games that feature starters sometimes playing as little as a couple series. While diehards will watch just about any football, the game itself can grow dull for many fans. Naturally this can lead fans to change the channel, and broadcasters are continually looking to find ways to keep fans watching (see: Pro Bowl changes).

The New England Patriots have announced plans to make some changes to the television broadcast of their games. The executive producer of Kraft Sports Production told the Boston Globe that preseason broadcasts will include more of a "talk-radio-type program without the yelling and the screaming and the agenda-driven stuff." They want to make the broadcast more conversational, including potential attempts to engage viewers through social media.

How many people here watch entire preseason broadcasts? I could see some value in engaging users and trying to make things more conversational. Of course, the conversation could end up focusing on a lot of the same topics over and over again. I often find myself more or less ignoring the announcers, particularly in the second half when more third and fourth string players are in the game. I listen for player mentions, but usually I have the roster page open so I can check numbers to see who is actually in the game.

The 49ers games are broadcast on Channel 5 in the Bay Area. If you are outside of the Bay Area, you can view the games online through NFL.com's Preseason Live for $20.

Here is the 49ers 2013 preseason schedule: