The 2017 NFL season is a few weeks away, and announcers pairings are already being settled for some of the early games. FOX Sports and CBS Sports issued press releases announcing their various crews for the fall, and we know of two of the San Francisco 49ers games so far.
For Week 1, when the 49ers host the Carolina Panthers, Thom Brennaman will handle play-by-play duties, and he will be joined by analyst Chris Spielman and sideline reporter Peter Schrager. They are listed as the No. 6 team for FOX Sports.
The 49ers travel to face their rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, in Week 2. The fan bases may feel the rivalry, but FOX Sports isn’t overly concerned about it. This matchup is getting the lowest tiered announcer crew, with Sam Rosen handling play-by-play, David Diehl providing analysis, and Jennifer Hale handling sideline reporter duties.
The rivalry is not what it once briefly was, and the TV schedule makes that all the clearer. The Seahawks are expected to win the NFC West, while the 49ers are viewed by many as likely to bring up the rear. Hopefully with Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch at the helm, things turn around in a hurry.