In a move that is welcome for every NFL fan, the league has announced that it’s relaxed its archaic rules protecting home markets and has opened up doubleheaders for all markets.
This means that every city will get four games this Sunday afternoon provided that their home team isn’t blacked out from a non-sellout.
This is the press release from the NFL.
NFL TV “DOUBLE DOUBLEHEADER” ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON
CBS & FOX Each to Show 1 PM ET and 4:15 PM ET Game in Most Markets
New York, Baltimore & Washington, DC Get Additional 4:15 PM ET Game
With 15 teams remaining in the Super Bowl race, fans will be able to follow more of the action on Sunday as an NFL “double doubleheader” airs on CBS and FOX.
Every television market other than those with a home game will receive a 1 PM ET game on CBS and FOX and a 4:15 PM ET game on each network. Fans in those markets will receive four Sunday afternoon games.
All NFL markets where there is a home game which is sold out will receive three games – the local team’s home game at 1 PM ET or 4:15 PM ET and two games at the time that the home team is not playing. In addition, New York (Dallas at Washington), Baltimore (Dallas at Washington) and Washington, DC (Pittsburgh at Baltimore) will receive an extra game at 4:15 PM ET.
The NFL introduced the “double doubleheader” last year in Week 17.
Good stuff for fans. Newsday’s Neil Best had the news first in his blog.
