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How Broadcast Territories Work
Why two fans in different cities can tune to the same channel at the same time and see completely different games.
Why two fans in different cities can tune to the same channel at the same time and see completely different games.
TV networks don't air a single national feed for every sports broadcast. Instead, they divide the country into geographic markets and assign each market the game most relevant to fans there. A fan in St. Louis might see a Cardinals game on FOX while a fan in Los Angeles sees a Dodgers game — both airing on FOX at the exact same time.
This system of regional assignments is called a broadcast territory or regional split. It's been the backbone of US sports broadcasting for decades, and it's why your local affiliate station matters even in the age of streaming.
Sports Maps shows these assignments county by county so you know exactly which game will be on your screen before you tune in.
From league negotiations to your living room.
Leagues (MLB, NFL) sell broadcast rights to networks for specific games and time slots. These contracts specify how the network may air the games — including rules about which markets see which game.
Before each broadcast window, the league and network determine which game airs in each TV market. Markets near a team's home city typically receive that team's game. Neutral markets may receive a national game or the highest-profile matchup.
Your local FOX or CBS affiliate receives the specific game feed assigned to your market and broadcasts it over the air and via cable/satellite. Two markets at the same time on the same network can be airing entirely different feeds.
What appears on your screen depends entirely on which market your home county is assigned to. Counties in the same state can sometimes be in different broadcast markets — making county-level precision essential.
TV market boundaries don't follow state lines. The market areas that broadcasters historically used cover metro areas, and their edges can cut through counties and even split neighboring towns into different markets.
For sports specifically, leagues often draw broadcast territory lines that differ from standard boundaries — particularly for teams with strong regional fanbases that extend into markets officially assigned to another team. The result is a patchwork map where county-level detail is the only reliable way to know which game your household receives.
This is exactly what Sports Maps provides: broadcast assignments at the county level, so there's no guessing.
Regional splits are most common on broadcast networks — FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC — because these networks air through local affiliate stations that can independently receive and air different feeds in different markets.
National cable channels like ESPN, TNT, and MLB Network typically carry a single national feed with no regional splits. If a game is on ESPN, everyone with ESPN sees the same game. Sports Maps focuses on broadcast network splits where the picture is most complex.
Your local FOX affiliate airs the game assigned to your broadcast market. FOX provides multiple regional feeds simultaneously — your affiliate carries the one designated for your area based on local team fanbases and contractual rules.
Yes. Broadcast market boundaries don't follow state lines. A county in southern Illinois might be in the St. Louis market while a county in northern Illinois is in the Chicago market — putting them in different broadcast territories even though they're in the same state.
For MLB, most broadcast assignments are announced the week of the game, with FOX Saturday games typically finalized a few days before broadcast. Sports Maps updates maps as soon as assignments are confirmed and publicly available.
Most streaming services that carry live sports replicate the same broadcast restrictions that apply to cable and over-the-air TV. Local blackout rules and regional rights can prevent a game from being available via streaming in the same markets that receive it on broadcast TV.
Many broadcast windows designate one game as the national game shown in most markets by default, with regional games substituted into specific markets. The national game typically features the most broadly appealing matchup of the day.
Open the coverage map for the relevant game and date on Sports Maps. Every county is color-coded by its assigned broadcast. Hover or tap your county to see the game name, or use the search bar to find your county, city, or ZIP code quickly.