49ers fans all across the country should still be able to see plenty of your team without scouring the Internet for a stream or shelling out hundreds of dollars to your cable provider in 2012. With five games (which is the maximum) selected by the league for primetime, the 49ers will get plenty of airtime in the coming months.
We get round two of Harbaugh vs. Schwartz in week two of the season, which was selected for Sunday Night Football on NBC. You will recall that the two head coaches had a -- we'll call it "heated" -- post-game handshake following an emotional victory by the 49ers last season, and I'm sure it'll be a big topic of discussion in the days leading up to the game.
The next national telecast comes in week seven when the 49ers welcome in an NFC West rival. The Seattle Seahawks figure to compete for a playoff spot in 2012, and you can bet they'll be looking to make a statement on Thursday Night Football. NFL Network will handle the coverage of this showdown.
San Francisco will be featured on Monday Night Football in week eight as they travel south to take on the Arizona Cardinals. This is another huge game within the division and the 49ers should expect to get everything the Cardinals have on Monday evening.
The 49ers will make another appearance on MNF in week 11 against the Chicago Bears. Hopefully Jay Cutler isn't severed into pieces by this point due to his awful offensive line. Seriously, Aldon Smith probably circled this game on his calendar the minute it was announced.
Finally, in week 15 the 49ers have a huge game against the New England Patriots set for Sunday Night Football in Foxboro. Tom Brady seldom loses at home and this game looks like one of the best of the season on paper.
For more on the 49ers schedule, check out the SB Nation Bay Area StoryStream. To discuss the team and schedule with other fans, be sure to visit Niners Nation.