Its playoffs time — how to watch every NFL game this postseason
The most unhinged part of the NFL season is here. That's right — it's playoffs time, baby.
Whether your team is in or out, you're probably wondering what kind of streaming madness the NFL has in store for this postseason. The good news is there are no more out of market games to confuse and frustrate viewers. The bad news is if you don't have cable (or a cable replacement), you're going to need a bunch of streaming services. Fear not; I've done the annoying research for you already. It's better than wallowing in self pity because my team didn't make the playoffs (I'm a Ravens fan — IYKYK).
Here are all the details you need to watch the NFL playoffs in 2026, including the tentative schedule, which streaming services you need, which ones offer free trials, and the best streaming deals to save you some money.
What is the 2026 NFL postseason schedule?
Wild Card Round
Saturday, Jan. 10
Rams at Panthers at 4:30 p.m. ET — Fox (stream on Fox One)
Packers at Bears at 8 p.m. ET — Prime Video
Sunday, Jan. 11
Bills at Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET — CBS (stream on Paramount+)
49ers at Eagles at 4:30 p.m. ET — Fox (stream on Fox One)
Chargers at Patriots at 8 p.m. ET — NBC (stream on Peacock)
Monday, Jan. 12
Texans at Steelers at 8 p.m. ET — ESPN / ABC (stream on ESPN Unlimited)
Divisional Round
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are the No. 1 seeds in their respective divisions, so they earned a first-round bye. In the Divisional Round, the lowest seed remaining in the AFC after the Wild Card weekend will play Denver for a spot in the AFC Championship. The lowest remaining seed in the NFC will face off against Seattle for a spot in the NFC Championship. These games are TBD, but will fall on Jan. 17 and 18.
Saturday, Jan. 17
AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 4:30 p.m. ET — TBD
AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 8 p.m. ET — TBD
Sunday, Jan. 18
AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 3 p.m. ET — TBD
AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 6:30 p.m. ET — TBD
Championship Round
Sunday, Jan. 25
AFC Championship at 3:00 p.m. ET — CBS (stream on Paramount+)
NFC Championship at 6:30 p.m. ET — Fox (stream on Fox One)
Super Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8
2026 Super Bowl at 6:30 p.m. ET — NBC (stream on Peacock)
Which streaming services do you need?
If you don't have cable or a digital antenna (more on this below), you'll need quite a few streaming subscriptions to watch the playoffs. It should come as no surprise, considering how many different channels and subscriptions were required to watch the regular season. The good news is you can easily sign up for a single month of each service and then cancel if you don't want to keep paying. Plus, some even offer free trials.
You'll need Fox, NBC, CBS, and ESPN/ABC networks to watch every postseason game, plus Prime Video. Fortunately, all of these channels have streaming counterparts for folks without cable.
For the NFL 2026 playoffs, you'll need the following streaming services:
Another option, albeit an expensive one, is to sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Fubo, which includes all of the networks you'll need to watch live games (except Prime Video). The monthly cost for these services is higher than paying for all five of the streamers above, but most come with free trials. If you've never signed up for YouTube TV before, for example, you'll get a 21-day free trial. That gets you all the way through the Championship Round. You'd still need to pay separately for a Prime Video subscription for a wildcard game, but this is your best bet to watch the most games for the cheapest price.
Live TV cable replacement options:
YouTube TV (carries Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN)
Fubo (carries Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN)
DirecTV Stream (carries ABC, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox in select markets)
Sling Orange & Blue (carries ESPN, Fox, ABC, and NBC in select markets)
Hulu + Live TV (carries ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC)
Which streaming services offer free trials?
Of the streaming services and cable replacement options above, here's a breakdown of which ones offer free trials and how long those trials last. Just remember, these trials are only available to new users in most cases (and sometimes returning users).
Fox One — free 7-day trial
Prime Video — free 30-day trial
Paramount+ — free 7-day trial (through Jan. 15)
YouTube TV — free 21-day trial
Fubo — free 5-day trial
DirecTV Stream — free 5-day trial
Hulu + Live TV — free 3-day trial
Are there any streaming deals for the NFL playoffs?
If you've already exhausted most of the free trial options, fret not. There are some options to save money on select streaming services in time for the playoffs. We've rounded up the best streaming deals for each service below.
Fox One streaming deals
Fox One and ESPN bundle
Save $10 and kill two birds with one stone by signing up for the ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle. You'll get both streamers for just $39.99 per month (rather than $49.98), which will unlock access to three games in the wild card round, likely a game or two in the divisional round, as well as the NFC championship game.
Fox One annual plan
Another way to save on Fox One is by signing up for the entire year upfront for $199.99. Paying monthly adds up to $239.88 across 12 months, so you'll end up saving nearly $40 with an annual plan.
Prime Video streaming deals
Prime Video only
If you don't care about being a Prime member, you can save yourself $6 per month by signing up for Prime Video only. You won't get the perks of being a member (like free shipping and Prime Day access), but if you only want to stream sports and other content, this is your best bet.
Of course, Amazon makes it unnecessarily complicated to sign up for Prime Video on its own. When you go to sign up for a subscription, be sure to select the option to "see more plans" or "change plans." Then, navigate to the option for Prime Video on its own. You can still cancel whenever you want, just as you would a full Prime membership.
More Prime Video deals:
Save 22% on an Amazon Prime annual membership
Students save $7.50 per month with Prime for Young Adults
Peacock streaming deals
Peacock annual subscription
The best Peacock deal for most people on any given day (when Peacock isn't running any sort of special) is the annual subscription plan. You'll get 12 months for the price of 10 when you pay upfront for the whole year. While a monthly subscription with ads usually costs $10.99 per month, that price drops to $9.17 per month with the annual plan. Live sports include ads regardless of which tier you choose, so you might as well opt for the cheaper Peacock Premium plan for the playoffs. A Peacock subscription grants you access to not only a game during wild card weekend, but also the Super Bowl itself.
More Peacock deals:
Free Peacock Premium for eligible Xfinity customers
Free Peacock Premium for Instacart+ subscribers
Free Peacock Premium for Walmart+ subscribers
Students save $8/month on one year of Peacock Premium
First responders, medical professionals, military personnel, and teachers save $7/month on Peacock Premium
Paramount+ streaming deals
Paramount+ Essential annual subscription
Paramount+ is still one of the cheapest streaming services at just $7.99 per month with ads, but the price is about to jump to $8.99 per month come Jan. 15. In order to lock in a deal, we suggest signing up for the annual subscription before that price hike takes place. You'll get an entire year of streaming for only $59.99, which breaks down to just $5 per month. You'll get access to a few different playoff games, including the AFC Championship game, as well as in-network AFC games throughout the regular season.
More Paramount+ deals:
Students save 50% on Paramount+ (any plan) for 12 months
Save 17% on Paramount+ Premium annual plan (no ads)
ESPN Unlimited streaming deals
See Fox One bundle above.
ESPN Unlimited annual subscription
If you're a huge sports fan, you can save about $60 by signing up for a full year of ESPN Unlimited instead of paying monthly. It'll cost you $299.99 in total, which breaks down to only $24.99 per month instead of $29.99.
Another way to watch the NFL playoffs
Want to avoid signing up for a million streaming services just to watch the playoffs? I highly recommend getting a digital antenna. I have this cheap one from Amazon, and I'm able to access ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox live for free — no streaming subscription required. Just be sure to check how far the range is for whichever antenna you choose, as well as how far you are from your local broadcast towers. If you're in that range, you should be able to watch live TV for free. Of course, you'll still need that pesky Prime Video subscription, but for the other networks, you're golden.