People across the country will get 49ers-Panthers on their TVs

The 49ers are suddenly one of the NFL’s most interesting teams. They’re the last undefeated team in the NFC, and one of two in the entire league. They’ve also done it without putting up the gaudy offensive numbers we’ve come to expect from dominant teams in the NFL. Their rising standing in the NFL hierarchy is reflected in the FOX broadcast map for Week 8, where the 49ers and Carolina Panthers dominate the late coverage.

Here’s the map via 506 Sports. The 49ers-Panthers game will be shown in the dark blue sections:

Week 8 FOX NFL broadcast map (via 506 Sports)

Part of the reason the 49ers and Panthers are garnering so much coverage across the country is because they’re the lone late game on FOX. There are three 1:05pm Pacific Time starts. The other two, Cleveland at New England and Oakland at Houston, are both CBS broadcasts.

It’d be interesting to see this distribution if either the 49ers or Panthers weren’t in the thick of the playoff race.

However, both teams are going to be a factor in December. San Francisco hasn’t lost all year, Carolina hasn’t lost since Week 2. There aren’t a ton of fascinating games on the Week 8 NFL slate, but the Panthers visiting the 49ers is certainly one of them.