Is there a web site that can tell me what games will air in which markets over the course of the season? I know about the506.com but that doesn’t seem to be updated yet and the schedule on the web site for CBS in New York (which is surprisingly hard to find on their site BTW) doesn’t go that far ahead.
Any suggestions? There are few Steelers games that I think should air based on the schedules of the Giants and Jets but I would like to confirm. Thanks.
506 isn’t updated yet because it’s not set that far in advance. Usually they make changes up to the day before the games. A lot can change depending on what teams are doing well.
What’s the website with all the pretty colored maps showing which region gets which broadcast? Is that 506?
That would be the one. As enalzi notes, the issue with what Quimby would like to find is that, other than predictable games (i.e., the Giants and Jets are going to always be televised in New York), if such information exists right now, it’s highly subject to change. The networks (and the local affiliates) are constantly tweaking which other games get carried in different markets, based on how the teams in question perform over the course of the season.
In addition, later in the year, NBC has the right to “flex” games out of Sunday afternoon, and into their marquee Sunday Night Football slot, while CBS and Fox have the ability to take an “early” game (1 p.m. Eastern start) and make it into their “doubleheader” game (4:15 Eastern start). With all of that, a later-season game which is currently scheduled for a particular time may wind up actually being played at a completely different time.
Generally it is down to the local affiliates management to chose which game they show based on local rooting interest or a national game that would generate the most interest. I don’t think there is any control from the network level or the NFL front office level, except perhaps that the home town affiliate for a team has to show the local team unless the game is blacked out. So until the local stations publicize their choice, there is no way for a site like the506 to know for certain what gets shown where.
For instance, here in San Antonio, which has always been a “Cowboys” town, prior to the past couple years when the Houston Texans were lousy, the local San Antonio CBS affiliate would often end up not showing the Texans if the game didn’t involve a widely followed team (for example, they’d show the Texans-Colts game, but not the Texans-Jaguars), even though Houston is just a few hours down I-10 from here.
ETA: Looks like the506 is in the process of loading up the maps. The CBS map is up, while the Fox maps are still “coming soon”.