You’ve been there. It’s Sunday morning, the coffee is brewing, and you’re ready to settle in for a full day of football, only to realize your local affiliate is showing a "snoozefest" between two 0-1 teams instead of the divisional rivalry everyone else is talking about. It’s frustrating. Mapping out the NFL week 2 broadcast map isn’t just about knowing when your team plays; it’s about understanding why the league carves up the country the way it does.
Honestly, the Week 2 slate for the 2025 season is a beast. We’ve got a Super Bowl LIX rematch, a massive double-header on Monday night, and a bizarre regional split on Fox that has left fans in the Midwest scratching their heads. If you're trying to figure out if you'll see Tom Brady's call or the "Spero and Archuleta" special, you've come to the right place.
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The Fox Doubleheader: Why Everyone is Getting the Chiefs and Eagles
The biggest story for the Week 2 coverage is undoubtedly Fox’s late-afternoon window. Most weeks, the country is a patchwork of colors. Not this time. Basically, the entire United States is getting one game at 4:25 p.m. ET: Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs.
It makes sense. This is a rematch of the most recent Super Bowl. The NFL and Fox aren't about to let regional interests get in the way of a national audience for Patrick Mahomes versus Jalen Hurts. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady are on the call. If you live in a market that usually defaults to a different game, don't worry—unless you’re in a very specific local pocket with a conflicting home game, you’re seeing the Chiefs.
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The Early Window Chaos
While the late afternoon is a unified front, the 1:00 p.m. ET window on Fox is a mess—in the best way possible. Fox is splitting the map into four primary zones:
- Giants at Cowboys (Red): This is the heavy hitter for the East Coast and Texas. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen have the headset for this one.
- Bears at Lions (Blue): A huge NFC North battle. This covers almost the entire state of Michigan, Illinois, and parts of the upper Midwest. Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma are handling the broadcast.
- Seahawks at Steelers (Green): This is a weird "coast-to-coast" slice. You'll see this in the Pacific Northwest and the greater Pittsburgh/Ohio Valley area. Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez are on the mic.
- 49ers at Saints (Yellow): Mostly the Deep South and Northern California. Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston are the duo here.
CBS and the Seven-Game Puzzle
CBS is operating on a "singleheader" schedule this week, which means most markets only get one CBS game all day. Because they have seven different games to choose from, the NFL week 2 broadcast map for CBS looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.
The "A-Team" of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo is heading to MetLife Stadium for Buffalo Bills at New York Jets. If you live in New York, Buffalo, or large parts of the Northeast, that’s your game. But if you’re in the South or the Midwest, things get tricky.
Who gets what on CBS?
Ian Eagle and J.J. Watt are calling Lams at Titans, which is dominating the Nashville and St. Louis markets. Meanwhile, the Browns at Ravens game—called by Tom McCarthy and Ross Tucker—is restricted mostly to the local AFC North footprints.
A lot of fans in the "middle" of the country (think Indiana and parts of Kentucky) are actually getting the 4:05 p.m. ET "late" CBS game, Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts, featuring Kevin Harlan. If you're a Colts fan in Southern Indiana, you might be annoyed to find the Ravens game on your screen instead, as Louisville often flips to Lamar Jackson's coverage over the local team.
The Primetime and Streaming Exclusives
You can't talk about the broadcast map without mentioning the games that aren't on the map because they're national.
- Thursday Night: Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers. This is an Amazon Prime Video exclusive. If you don't have a subscription, you better hope you live in the D.C. or Green Bay local markets, where it will be simulcast on over-the-air stations like WTTG or WGBA.
- Sunday Night: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings on NBC. No maps needed here—it's Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth for the whole country.
- Monday Night Doubleheader: This is where it gets interesting. At 7 p.m. ET, the Bucs at Texans airs on both ABC and ESPN (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman). At 10 p.m. ET, the Chargers at Raiders moves exclusively to ESPN with the Chris Fowler crew.
How to Beat the Map
If the NFL week 2 broadcast map doesn't go your way, you aren't totally out of luck. NFL+ has become the go-to for people who want to watch on their phones or tablets, though it still restricts you to "local and primetime" games.
For the true "out-of-market" fans—the Dolphins fan living in Seattle, for example—YouTube TV’s NFL Sunday Ticket remains the only legal way to bypass the regional maps entirely. It’s expensive, but it beats staring at a map of "Spero Dedes" territory when you want to see Josh Allen.
Actionable Tips for Sunday
- Check 506 Sports early: The maps usually finalize by Wednesday or Thursday. Don't assume your local affiliate hasn't made a last-minute switch.
- Verify your "Late" window: Since CBS only has a singleheader, you might get a 1 p.m. game but nothing at 4 p.m. on that channel. Plan your snacks accordingly.
- Audit your streaming: If you're relying on a "multiview" feature, remember that local blackouts still apply based on your GPS or IP address.
The 2025 season is moving fast. Week 2 is often the "overreaction" week where we find out if Week 1 was a fluke or a trend. Make sure you're actually watching the game you care about before the kickoff whistle blows.