Why the 49ers Received Six Primetime Games in 2024

The 49ers are one of a few teams that are lucky enough to be given the maximum of six primetime games. Here is why that is.

Oct 8, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) poses / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The most highly anticipated aspect of the NFL schedule release is seeing how many primetime games a team gets.

Six is the maximum one can get, while there is a chance none are awarded like the Carolina Panthers. For the San Francisco 49ers, they were given the maximum of six primetime games in 2024. Getting this many is astonishing and a rare thing to get.

But the 49ers received six primetime games for a good reason. They are an elite team and one of the best in the NFL. To not give them the maximum would've been foolish by the league. The 49ers are an enormous draw with an alluring and historic franchise.

Anytime fans hear the name "49ers" it entices them to watch. They are an easy slam dunk for ratings, so they were too obvious a choice to give six primetime games. It has basically been this way for the last couple of years. People just want to watch them.

They are such a fun and exciting team, so it is only right that they get their own exclusive spot at night. The 49ers are joined by the New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys. Coincidentally, the 49ers face both of them in primetime at home in 2024.

This is basically going to be the standard for the 49ers going forward. At least five primetime games should always be expected out of them. Until they start to be a middling or below average team, which doesn't seem likely anytime soon, then they will be the featured game for a chunk of the season for the foreseeable future.