The invention relates to a backlighting system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) and to a display device. The backlighting system comprises a plurality of segments (20, 21, 22, 23, 24) for selectively illuminating a predefined area of pixels of a display device. The backlighting system is configured for selectively controlling the intensity and/or color of the light emitted from the segment, each segment comprising a light source (30). The backlighting system (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16) further comprises light barriers (40) for limiting the lateralspreading of the light emitted by the light source (30) towards the neighboring segments (20, 21, 22, 23, 24). The light barriers define grid-lines of a grid, and the light source (30) is arranged at a position on the grid-line which at least partially coincides with at least one of the light barriers. The effect of the measures according to the invention is that by positioning the light source of the segment on the same grid-line as the light barriers, the light from the light source spreads on either side of the light barrier towards the neighboring segments. This enables a predefined overlap of the light emitted by the segment towards its neighboring segments without the need for additional thickness of the backlighting system.