NFL On TV: Here's Why CBS and Fox Alternate Sunday Doubleheaders

CBS and Fox take turns airing Sunday afternoon doubleheaders to balance NFL coverage across local markets. League rules limit each network to no more than two games in a market on a given Sunday, so one network typically carries two games while the other broadcasts one. The following week, the arrangement usually switches.

Since 1998, CBS has generally carried games featuring an AFC road team, while Fox has typically shown games featuring an NFC road team. But the NFL’s 2014 television agreements introduced “cross-flexing,” which lets the league move games between the networks regardless of conference. That flexibility helps balance early-afternoon matchups and place more appealing games in the 4:25 p.m. national window.

On a doubleheader Sunday, the network airing two games usually has a 1 p.m. game and a 4:25 p.m. game. The later broadcast—often promoted as “America’s Game of the Week”—is typically the most widely watched. The single-game network generally has a 4:05 p.m. broadcast, often featuring a game with teams in the Pacific or Mountain time zones.

The rotation also helps distribute desirable time slots between CBS and Fox and gives local stations a better chance of showing games relevant to their audiences. While many stations are associated with a particular conference’s teams, cross-flexing gives the league room to adjust coverage for local interest and marquee matchups.

In short, the alternating schedule helps the NFL observe its market limits, balance national and local coverage, and share prominent Sunday time slots between its broadcast partners.