Reverse mirror

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The NFL is now permitting local markets to air another NFL game opposite a team's home game, though this won't always happen (some teams are enforcing the old rule this week for instance).

The next step to evolve Sunday afternoon coverage is introducing a "reverse mirror", in which one of CBS or Fox's regional games in each market would also be carried on CBS Sports Network or Fox Sports 1.

The reverse mirror can be used to primarily distribute the top 2 games in a timeslot outside of markets where they are airing on CBS or Fox. Sometimes it can also be used to air another locally popular team kept off of the local CBS or Fox affiliate by the secondary market rules in a given week. Such cases where this might happen include Harrisburg, PA, where Steelers games airing at the same time as a Ravens road game can air on CBSSN (if the game is not on Fox instead). Or in Ohio, where the reverse mirror can distribute simultaneous Bengals and Browns games to most of the state. Or even in Florida, to expand in-state distribution of simultaneous Dolphins and Jaguars games.

In my proposal to expand the playoffs to 16 teams, the reverse mirror would also be utilized in the 1 PM slot on both Saturday and Sunday of the first round, with one slot going to CBS/CBSSN and the other going to Fox/FS1, alternating each year. This is a creative way to avoid playing playoff games on days other than Saturday or Sunday.

Of course this wouldn't happen until 2023 at the earliest.