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Is it time for the NFL's television rules to be overhauled?

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The cross-flex rule, i guess.

I was kind of curious, since Fox had Thom Brennaman and Chris Spielman doing the game in Chicago, and the Chargers are a AFC team. I guess the NFL didn't want too many CBS games this week.

Since the Chargers were the road team, this game would have been on CBS per the old rules. I think all bets are off now.

From what I remember, CBS, and NBC before them, used to complain that the AFC had too many small markets compared to the NFC. They were right, of course. The NFC has 13 of its 16 teams in Top 20 TV markets, while the AFC has 8 of 16. #18 Orlando and #20 Sacramento do not have NFL teams, but are close to NFC markets. I'm willing to bet that this difference is why some NFC games are being switched to CBS, and a few CBS games go to Fox.

The NFC has NYC (1), LA (2), Chicago (3), Philly (4), DFW (5), Washington (6), San Francisco (8), Atlanta (10), Tampa/St. Pete (11), Phoenix (12), Seattle (13), Detroit (14), Mpls/St. Paul (15), Charlotte (23), New Orleans (50), and Green Bay (67).

The AFC has NYC (1), LA (2), Houston (7), Oakland (8), Boston (9), Miami (16), Denver (17), Cleveland (19), Pittsburgh (24), Baltimore (26), Nashville (27), Indianapolis (28), Kansas City (32), Cincinnati (35), Jacksonville (42), and Buffalo (52). Las Vegas (39) will replace Oakland (8) in 2021.
 
CBS still gets mostly AFC games and FOX gets the NFC. It's no longer exclusive though. This is because the NFL and the Networks want flexibility to swap out games. The Sunday Night NBC games can be "flexed" if the match up looks less desirable. They also move games from 1pm to 4pm (or vice versa). It's all ratings driven...
 
CBS still gets mostly AFC games and FOX gets the NFC. It's no longer exclusive though. This is because the NFL and the Networks want flexibility to swap out games. The Sunday Night NBC games can be "flexed" if the match up looks less desirable. They also move games from 1pm to 4pm (or vice versa). It's all ratings driven...

Here is an explanation of the new rules. It's from WLUK-TV/11, the Fox affiliate in Green Bay, so it is Packer-centric, but it sums the rules up pretty well.

https://fox11online.com/sports/packers-and-nfl/an-explanation-of-the-guidelines-for-nfl-tv-coverage
 
It was still very weird to not see the 49ers game on KCYU-LD Yakima. Yeah yeah, 600 miles away, but there's an immense fanbase in Yakima and Tri-Cities. I often saw SF stickers and jerseys living down there, a close 2nd to the Seahawks. When the Seahawks really sucked in the late '80s...guess which team a lot of Washington state viewers (including my parents) were watching? Yep, Joe Montana and the Niners.
And a HUGE win today to boot for SF. The Veterans Day MNF game against my Seahawks is going to be a GOOD game. A REALLY good game I bet, W or L!
 
The cross-flex rule, i guess.
which has been explained NUMEROUS times yet you keep asking

I was kind of curious, since Fox had Thom Brennaman and Chris Spielman doing the game in Chicago, and the Chargers are a AFC team. I guess the NFL didn't want too many CBS games this week.
simple
The Chargers/Bears game and Cards/Saints game were flipped network wise before the season. Again its to allow the networks more exposure for a game. Most of the South/Southeastern part of the US got the Saints game whereas if it was on FOX they woiuldn't have.

by the way (to save you the trouble) the late CBS main game next week is Green Bay @ Chargers. This gives each network 5 games (3 early 2 late) again to balance the workload.

To save you the hassle as of right now these are the crossflex games
week 10..DET @ CHI on CBS early
week 13..WSH @ CAR on CBS early
week 16..JAX @ ATL on FOX early
 
It was still very weird to not see the 49ers game on KCYU-LD Yakima. Yeah yeah, 600 miles away, but there's an immense fanbase in Yakima and Tri-Cities. I often saw SF stickers and jerseys living down there, a close 2nd to the Seahawks. When the Seahawks really sucked in the late '80s...guess which team a lot of Washington state viewers (including my parents) were watching? Yep, Joe Montana and the Niners.
And a HUGE win today to boot for SF. The Veterans Day MNF game against my Seahawks is going to be a GOOD game. A REALLY good game I bet, W or L!

simple
Seattle was on in the early slot and FOX has the singleheader this week
 
Here is an explanation of the new rules. It's from WLUK-TV/11, the Fox affiliate in Green Bay, so it is Packer-centric, but it sums the rules up pretty well.

https://fox11online.com/sports/packers-and-nfl/an-explanation-of-the-guidelines-for-nfl-tv-coverage

except one part is wrong as the blackout rule is still out there
The NFL is guaranteeing three afternoon games in every market, That means the prohibition against one network (i.e. Fox) from airing a game at the same the Packers are home on the other network (i.e. CBS) has been suspended.

A market cannot block 2 DH games this year but if a market has more than that they can use a block. As example Minneapolis has 3 DH games on CBS opposite Vikings home games on FOX (week 3,6,14). KMSP FOX Minneapolis can ask for one of the games to be blocked (they dont have to though)..week 3 & 6 we got a game opposite Vikes home game. But the block has been used in Cleveland, Miami, Nashville and Phoenix so they only got 2 games.

Also the rule of "no game is shown same timeslot as home team" still applies so week 11 when the Vikes are home against Denver on CBS (DH network) FOX MUST show the late game (San Fran/Arizona)
 
Yesterday San Francisco had a late game even though CBS had THE late game. My listings showed the World Series Pre-Game but the game was still going on. For the Panthers it was an embarrassment according to the front page of my Charlotte Observer and the score I saw when I checked to see what was being recorded (no point really, since the end of the recording would not include the start of 'The Simpsons").

I'm curious to know what those not in the two involved markets saw instead of the game. I guess some markets had to air that game because they had a CBS early game with their home team.
 
Yesterday San Francisco had a late game even though CBS had THE late game.
both networks always have early and late games. One has the DH whereas the other network only has one game.
My listings showed the World Series Pre-Game but the game was still going on. For the Panthers it was an embarrassment according to the front page of my Charlotte Observer and the score I saw when I checked to see what was being recorded (no point really, since the end of the recording would not include the start of 'The Simpsons").
Simpsons werent on.
I'm curious to know what those not in the two involved markets saw instead of the game. I guess some markets had to air that game because they had a CBS early game with their home team.
times central
noon-3:15-3:20ish...football
3:20-3:45 post game
3:45-4:15 some PBA boxing hype show
4:15-5:15 abbreviated Smackdown episode from Friday (that was on FS1 due to WS)
Minneapolis does news from 5:15-6...Mankato has 2 Judge Judy episodes
6-7 WS pregame

markets that carried the late FOX game
Carolinas/Western Virginia (due to team playing)
Northern California (due to team playing)
Indy, New Orleans and Jacksonville (due to team at home on CBS early)
Denver and surrounding areas (Utah, Wyoming,Western Nebraska and SD), Cincy and Arizona (road team but not to go against the local team)
Parts of LA, MS, AL and AR that normally show Saints games
 
Simply put, until cross flexing happened:

CBS aired the AFC conference games. If AFC was the road team (i.e. Miami @ Seattle), the game was on CBS.
FOX aired the NFC conference games. If NFC was the road team (i.e. Seattle @ Miami), the games was on FOX.

Thanksgiving used to follow this same rule. The only restriction is time zone. No game can start before noon local time. That's why the Detroit game is always played first that day. The England games go by the LOCAL start time. England, normally 5 hours ahead of US Eastern, was only 4 this week, since Europe set their clocks back this past weekend.
 
Panthers at home at 1.

My TiVo showed it was recording "The Simpsons" at 7. Instead they were airing the late Fox game when CBS had THE late game. "Bob's Burgers" was joined in progress, apparently. I saw no post-game show. But the important thing is the 8:00 broadcast of "The Simpsons" did not start during that recording.
 
Panthers at home at 1.

My TiVo showed it was recording "The Simpsons" at 7. Instead they were airing the late Fox game when CBS had THE late game. "Bob's Burgers" was joined in progress, apparently. I saw no post-game show. But the important thing is the 8:00 broadcast of "The Simpsons" did not start during that recording.

Panthers at home on DH network. By NFL rules the SH network MUST show the game in the other timeslot. according to online guides FOX Charlotte showed the late game in the guide. You do know that FOX prime time doesnt start until 8E/7C? On days FOX has the SH they put a rerun of Simpsons and Bobs Burgers on in the 6-7 CST/7-8 EST time slot. On Doubleheader weeks they have "The OT" during that time

Next week FOX has the DH and Carolina plays Green Bay in the late slot. CBS has the early game. The only markets getting a late game on CBS
New Orleans, Tampa and NYC (teams at home early slot FOX...Giants & Jets play each other)
Arizona & Atlanta (road teams on FOX but not to show game against local team)
Miami and fair amount of Indiana (teams playing)
 
Don't have to worry about watching single and doubleheaders next week...Seahawks are on MNF Veteran's Day against the undefeated 49ers. It's going to be fun. I hope Russell Wilson pulls off the Niners' first L!
 
Panthers at home on DH network. By NFL rules the SH network MUST show the game in the other timeslot. according to online guides FOX Charlotte showed the late game in the guide. You do know that FOX prime time doesnt start until 8E/7C? On days FOX has the SH they put a rerun of Simpsons and Bobs Burgers on in the 6-7 CST/7-8 EST time slot. On Doubleheader weeks they have "The OT" during that time
According to what online guides? Not mine. And there was no postgame show. When I fast-forwarded there was an episode of "Bob's Burgers".
 
According to what online guides? Not mine. And there was no postgame show. When I fast-forwarded there was an episode of "Bob's Burgers".

zap2it.com
titantv.com
tv.com (which uses the same Rovi database as Tivo does)

Where did I say there was a postgame show? Fox had the Singleheader game...On days FOX has the SH they put a rerun of Simpsons and Bobs Burgers on in the 6-7 CST/7-8 EST time slot.
 
zap2it.com
titantv.com
tv.com (which uses the same Rovi database as Tivo does)

Where did I say there was a postgame show? Fox had the Singleheader game...On days FOX has the SH they put a rerun of Simpsons and Bobs Burgers on in the 6-7 CST/7-8 EST time slot.
I don't know how to look anything up in those, but it was too late for me to see what my TiVo would have shown. I guess the listings can show a game at 4 without changing what is on at 7 because it might end in time for all or part of "The Simpsons" but it didn't.
 
I guess the listings can show a game at 4 without changing what is on at 7 because it might end in time for all or part of "The Simpsons" but it didn't.

correct
Since Minneapolis more often than not has a late CBS game when its a singleheader game it shows 60 minutes to start at 6PM CST...giving the game a 3 hour block (singleheader late games start at :05 versus DH late game is :25) even thought most of the time it runs late
 
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