Why the Chicago Bears game in London Sunday will be shown on Fox 32 in Chicago and not Fox 39 in Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Chicago Bears game against the Jaguars is not being shown on Fox 39 or by any Rockford TV station Sunday morning from London. It’s only on the NFL Network.

I know some of you are confused by the fact the Fox 32 in Chicago is showing the game. That’s because the NFL allows one TV station in each market that has a team playing in an NFL Network game show the game. So, only one Chicago station and one Jacksonville station can show the game. The NFL wants everyone else watching the NFL Network. If no one watched the NFL Network, it would cease to exist and the NFL doesn’t want that to happen.

Sunday’s game is NOT a Fox Network game. Don’t let the fact that Fox 32 in Chicago is showing it lead you into thinking that is it. If it were a FOX Network game, we would definitely be showing it on Fox 39 in Rockford.

I’ve said this many, many times over the years, we at Fox 39 and WTVO (ABC) in Rockford would show EVERY Chicago Bears game and EVERY Green Bay Packers game if we could, but we can’t because various networks and streaming services (like Prime) pay billions of dollars to the NFL for the rights to show certain games, so we can’t infringe on their contractual agreements.

So once again, in Rockford Sunday, the Chicago Bears-Jacksonville Jaguars game won’t be shown on local TV. It will only be shown on the NFL Network. Please spread the word to other Bears fans in your life.

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