CBS or FOX: How the NFL Decides Who Broadcasts Your Team
Updated: October 3, 2026
On Sunday afternoons, the road team's conference usually decides the network: CBS airs games with an AFC road team, and FOX airs games with an NFC road team. Since 2014, the league can cross-flex games between the two networks. NFL rules then limit how many games each market gets on a given Sunday.
CBS or FOX in 2026: The NFL Road Team Rule for Sunday Games
| Matchup | Network |
|---|---|
| AFC team at AFC team | CBS |
| NFC team at NFC team | FOX |
| AFC team at NFC team | CBS |
| NFC team at AFC team | FOX |
The road team decides it. When the Bills play at the Packers, the game belongs to CBS, because Buffalo is the AFC road team. When the Packers play at the Bills, it belongs to FOX.
The split goes back to 1994, when FOX took the NFC package from CBS. CBS returned in 1998 with the AFC package, and the two networks have kept those conferences since.
NFL Cross-Flex Rules Since 2014: Why an AFC Game Can Air on FOX
The TV deals signed in 2014 added cross-flexing: the league can move a game to the other network, regardless of the road team's conference. In Week 5 of 2026, Cincinnati at Miami, two AFC teams, airs on FOX.
When the league first explained its 2016 moves, it gave two reasons: to balance the number of 1:00 games between the two networks, and to give the 4:25 window bigger games. Some cross-flexes are set when the schedule is released, and the league can make more during the season. The 2023 season, the first under the current TV deals, had 52 cross-flexed games, according to JohnWallStreet.
Most games still follow the road team rule. Many CBS and FOX stations are aligned with the AFC or NFC team in their market, and fans in those markets want their team's games.
NFL Doubleheader Rules: 1:00, 4:05 and 4:25 Windows on CBS and FOX
| Network role that Sunday | Games in most markets | Kickoff times (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Doubleheader network | 2 | 1:00 and 4:25 |
| Single-game network | 1 | 1:00 or 4:05 |
On most Sundays, one network has the doubleheader and the other has one game. The 4:25 game on the doubleheader network is the showcase game of the afternoon, and most of the country sees it. FOX calls its 4:25 game America's Game of the Week. The single-game network's late games kick off at 4:05 and are mostly games played in the Pacific or Mountain time zones.
In Week 5 of 2026, FOX has the doubleheader: Detroit at Arizona and San Francisco at Seattle at 4:25, while CBS has Denver at the Chargers at 4:05. Some Sundays give both networks a doubleheader. Week 1 of 2026 did, the first time since 2023, and the last Sunday of the regular season can too.
NFL Home Team TV Rule: Why Your Market Gets 2 or 3 Sunday Games
Most markets get three games on a Sunday afternoon: two on the doubleheader network (one early, one late) and one on the single-game network. No network shows more than two games in your market on the same Sunday.
An NFL rule can cut that to two. When your local team plays at home on the single-game network, the doubleheader network normally cannot air a game in your market at the same time, so it airs only its other game. The league has loosened this rule: it allowed two exceptions a season in 2019 and four in 2020. A team plays only some of its home games on the single-game network, so in most markets the rule removes a game only a few times a year, if at all.
| Your local team that Sunday | Sunday afternoon games in your market |
|---|---|
| On the road, or not playing Sunday afternoon | 3 |
| At home, on the doubleheader network | 3 |
| At home, on the single-game network, in an exception week | 3 |
| At home, on the single-game network, with no exception that week | 2 |
Denver example. The Broncos host a 4:05 game on the single-game network. Without an exception, the doubleheader network can air its 1:00 game in Denver but not its 4:25 game, because that game would air against the Broncos, so Denver gets two games. In an exception week, the doubleheader network airs both games, and Denver gets three.
CBS and FOX Lead NFL Announcers in 2026: Who Calls the Top Game
| Network | Lead booth |
|---|---|
| CBS | Jim Nantz & J.J. Watt |
| FOX | Kevin Burkhardt & Tom Brady |
Each network's lead crew calls its biggest game of the week, which on a doubleheader Sunday is usually the 4:25 national game. CBS and Tony Romo parted ways on Oct. 2, 2026, after nine seasons. J.J. Watt, who had worked with Jim Nantz since Romo went on leave in July, stays in the lead analyst role. MockSlate's Booth Call game is built on these lead crews.
NFL TV Maps and Weekly Crew Assignments: Where to Check Each Week
- Which game your market gets: 506 Sports publishes coverage maps for every Sunday. MockSlate's Off the Map game uses them.
- Who calls every game: TamirMoore.com posts each week's CBS and FOX announcer assignments for every game.
- Every network and window, week by week: build a season in the 2027 mock schedule builder.
Sources
- Road team rule, cross-flex history: CBS Sports, network history, Philadelphia Inquirer, JohnWallStreet
- Doubleheader and home team rules: KPIX, KIRO, Awful Announcing, 2026 Week 1, Awful Announcing, 2020 rule change, ProFootballTalk
- Announcers: CBS Sports, FOX Sports
FAQ
Why is my team's game on FOX instead of CBS?
Either the road team is from the NFC, or the league cross-flexed the game to FOX. A game with an AFC road team normally airs on CBS.
What is a cross-flex in the NFL?
A cross-flex moves a Sunday afternoon game to the network that does not normally carry it. The league has used cross-flexing since 2014 to balance the 1:00 games and to give the 4:25 window bigger games.
Why can't I watch the 4:25 game in my area?
Usually because your local station chose a different late game. Less often, your local team is playing at home in the late window on the single-game network, and an NFL rule keeps the doubleheader network from airing a game against it, unless the league uses one of its four exceptions that season.
Who are CBS's lead NFL announcers?
Jim Nantz & J.J. Watt. J.J. Watt has worked with Jim Nantz since Tony Romo went on leave in July 2026, and he stayed in the role after CBS and Romo parted ways in October.
Can CBS and FOX both have a doubleheader on the same Sunday?
Yes, on some Sundays. Week 1 of 2026 gave both networks a doubleheader, the first time since 2023, and the last Sunday of the regular season can as well. On most Sundays, only one network has the doubleheader.
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