What's a DMA and Why It Matters for Your TV

A DMA — Designated Market Area — is the 'TV market' you live in. There are 210 in the US. Your DMA controls which local channels and regional sports networks you can get, no matter what TV service you use.

How DMAs work

Nielsen (the ratings company) divides the US into 210 DMAs based on which TV stations most households in an area watch. The map roughly follows metro areas but doesn't cleanly match state or county lines. Your ZIP code determines your DMA.

Why it affects your TV bill

Local channels. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX feed depend on your DMA's local affiliates. Live in NYC? Your CBS is WCBS. Live in LA? Your CBS is KCBS. Different newscasts, different local programming.

Regional sports networks (RSNs). Yankees on YES (NY DMA only). Lakers on Spectrum SportsNet (LA DMA only). Tigers on FanDuel Sports Detroit (Detroit DMA only). Switch to a service that doesn't carry your DMA's RSN and you can't watch your team.

How to find your DMA

Take the quiz on this site — entering your ZIP automatically resolves your DMA. Or look it up directly at nielsen.com.

DMAs and streaming services

Streaming services like YouTube TV, Hulu Live, and DirecTV Stream let you set your home address. Your local channels and RSN options come from that DMA. If you move, you have to update your address. If you travel, some channels (especially RSNs) won't work outside your home DMA.

The biggest DMAs

1. New York (~7.7M households)
2. Los Angeles (~5.8M)
3. Chicago (~3.5M)
4. Philadelphia (~3.0M)
5. Dallas-Ft. Worth (~2.9M)
6. Atlanta (~2.7M)
7. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose (~2.7M)
8. Houston (~2.5M)
9. Washington DC (~2.4M)
10. Boston (~2.5M)