In shared media markets with two NFL teams like New York, oftentimes fans were limited to just two CBS and FOX games each weekend. For instance, if the Jets played on CBS at 1pm, and the Giants played on FOX at 4pm, neither CBS or FOX could air a second game if they owned that week’s doubleheader. The NFL just adjusted the rules that will allow three games to be shown in each market every Sunday.
This not only affects New York, but also other markets like Southern California with the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco Bay Area with the San Francisco 49ers and [Oakland Raiders], and Washington D.C. with the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens.
For cord-cutters, this means that no matter where you live, you’ll be able to catch an additional game for free either OTA with an antenna, or through Yahoo! Sports or NFL Apps which stream local games for free on your smartphone. One additional change is NFL divisional playoff games will now be played at 3pm and 6:30pm, previously 1pm and 4pm, which now matches the time slots for the NFC & AFC conference championships.
This offseason is set for many changes for those who stream NFL games. The NFL is expected to pick a new streaming partner for NFL Sunday Ticket, so you can stream out-of-market games — even if you don’t have DirecTV. It has been rumored that both Amazon for Prime Video, and Disney for ESPN+ could be interested in the service.