Honestly, there is nothing more annoying than sitting down with a cold drink at 1:00 PM only to realize your local affiliate is airing a "tank bowl" instead of the heavyweight fight you actually wanted to see. We've all been there. Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season is a massive one, but because of how the regional broadcast rules work, your zip code basically dictates your happiness for about three and a half hours.
With only two teams on bye this week—the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings—the schedule is absolutely packed. We’re talking 15 games in total, including an early morning London kickoff and a Monday night doubleheader that’s going to make Tuesday morning very difficult for a lot of people.
If you're trying to figure out the nfl tv coverage map week 6, you have to look at how CBS and FOX are splitting their territory. CBS has the doubleheader rights this week, which means most of the country is going to get a late-afternoon window featuring the 49ers and the Buccaneers. FOX, meanwhile, is stuck with a single-header, meaning they only show one game all day in your market, either early or late.
The Big CBS Doubleheader: Nantz and Romo are Busy
CBS is leaning heavily into the "A-Team" for Week 6. Since they have the doubleheader, they're spreading their talent across the 1:00 PM and 4:25 PM ET slots.
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In the early window, the primary game for the North and Midwest is the Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s a classic AFC North grudge match. Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt (who has been surprisingly great in the booth, by the way) are on the call. If you live in the South or West, you're more likely to see the Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins.
But the real "National" game of the day happens at 4:25 PM ET. Jim Nantz and Tony Romo are heading to Tampa for the San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This was actually flexed! Originally, it was supposed to be an early game, but the league realized it was a much better "Late Window" draw. Because of that move, the New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints got bumped up to the 1:00 PM slot.
CBS Early Window (1:00 PM ET)
- Red: Browns at Steelers (Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt) – Mostly the Northeast, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
- Blue: Chargers at Dolphins (Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis) – Florida, Southern California, and parts of the West.
- Green: Patriots at Saints (Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta) – New England and Louisiana markets.
CBS Late Window (4:25 PM ET)
- Red: 49ers at Buccaneers (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo) – Nearly the entire country.
- Blue: Bengals at Packers (Kevin Harlan, Trent Green) – If you're in Ohio, Kentucky, or Wisconsin, you’re likely getting Joe Flacco’s Bengals debut at Lambeau instead of the Niners.
FOX Singleheader: The Tom Brady Factor
Since FOX only has one game per market this week, they have to be picky. They’ve sent their top crew—Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady—to Baltimore for the Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens.
If you live in a major market like Los Angeles or Baltimore, that’s your 1:00 PM game. However, if you're in Dallas or the Carolinas, you're getting Cowboys at Panthers. It’s a bit of a weird split.
Expert Tip: If your local team is playing at 1:00 PM on CBS, and FOX is also showing a 1:00 PM game, you'll have two games to choose from. But if your local team is at 4:05 PM on FOX (like the Titans-Raiders game), FOX will likely "dark out" the 1:00 PM slot in your area to protect the local ratings.
FOX Broadcast Slate (Mostly 1:00 PM ET)
- Red: Rams at Ravens (Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady) – The "National" draw for FOX.
- Blue: Cowboys at Panthers (Adam Amin, Greg Olsen) – Big coverage in Texas and the Southeast.
- Yellow: Seahawks at Jaguars (Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth) – Northwest and Florida/Georgia.
- Orange: Cardinals at Colts (Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston) – Arizona and Indiana markets.
- Green (4:05 PM ET): Titans at Raiders (Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma) – Very limited coverage, mostly just Tennessee and Nevada.
Prime Time and International: No Maps Required
The good news about the "special" games is that you don't need a map. Everyone gets them.
The Sunday morning London game features the Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets. It kicks off at 9:30 AM ET on NFL Network. If you're in Denver or New York, your local ABC or NBC affiliate will probably simulcast it so you don't need a subscription, but everyone else has to have the channel.
Sunday Night Football is a massive rematch: Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs. Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth will be at Arrowhead. This is basically the "Super Bowl Preview" everyone is talking about.
Then, Monday night gets weird. We have two games, but they overlap.
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- Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons (7:15 PM ET on ESPN).
- Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders (8:15 PM ET on ABC).
If you have a smart TV, you'll want to use the "multiview" feature because these two games are going to be happening simultaneously for most of the night.
How to Bypass the Map if You're Out-of-Market
If you're a Vikings fan living in Florida or a Cowboys fan in Seattle, the nfl tv coverage map week 6 is your enemy. You aren't going to see your team on local TV.
Basically, you have three real options:
- NFL Sunday Ticket: Now on YouTube TV. It’s expensive, but it’s the only legal way to see every single out-of-market game.
- NFL+: You can watch live games on your phone or tablet, but you can't stream them to your TV. It’s cheap (around $7-10), but the small screen is a bummer.
- The "Antenna" Trick: If you live on the border of two markets, a high-powered digital antenna might be able to pull in the CBS or FOX affiliate from the neighboring city that is showing a different game.
Check your local listings early. Sometimes affiliates make last-minute changes on Friday or Saturday based on local interest. If you see a "to be determined" on your guide, it usually means they're waiting to see if a specific player (like Joe Flacco or a returning superstar) is officially starting.
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Your Next Steps:
Check the 506 Sports maps on Friday morning for the final, verified color-coded regions. If your team isn't in your color, make sure your YouTube TV or NFL+ subscription is active before the 1:00 PM ET kickoffs. Grab an HD antenna now if you want to catch the local broadcasts for free without a cable sub.