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NFL Playoffs Online: When Are They & How to Watch Anywhere Without Cable
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Written by Frank Moraes Senior Content Editor
I’ve found that streaming has become the only way to watch every NFL game since the 2021 season. As America’s most popular sport, I know it’s important to understand how to access all the action.
In a hurry? Most games will air on the networks, so you could just set up an antenna. Or sign up with one of these streaming services:
Our #1 Service to Watch NFL
More options (DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV)
DIRECTV includes every regional sports network in its Choice plan, plus 90+ other channels.
Hulu + Live TV gets you 95+ live channels, plus the Disney+ and ESPN+ bundle.
Start Hulu + Live TV Free Trial ↗︎
PRO TIP: Traveling? Use ExpressVPN to keep watching NFL anywhere in the world.
In each conference, 7 teams are selected to go to the playoffs. These are the winners of the 4 divisions and then the 3 other teams with the best record.
The top-seeded team in each conference gets a bye and doesn’t play the first week known as Wild Card Round. The other 6 teams play in 3 games with the weakest team playing the best team at home. And so on. It looks like this:
- 7 Seed at 2 Seed
- 6 Seed at 3 Seed
- 5 Seed at 4 Seed
The three winners of this round plus the 1 Seed team then meet in the Divisional Round.
- Lowest Seed at 1 Seed
- Second Lowest Seed at Third Lowest Seed
The next weekend is the Conference Round, which determines the winner of each conference. And then there is the Super Bowl, two weeks later.
Which Channels Carry the NFL Playoffs?
Playoff games featuring AFC teams are generally broadcast on CBS.
Playoff games featuring NFC games tend to be broadcast on Fox.
There are exceptions, like the Jan 10th, 2021 wildcard game between NFC teams the Saints and Bears which was broadcast on CBS.
Since the 2014-2015 season, ESPN/ABC has broadcast one playoff game each season – until the 2020-21 season, this was always the first game of the season. This year, ESPN is slotted to air the last wildcard game.
NBC Sports broadcasts two games in primetime during the wild card round and one during the divisional round. These are usually the games expected to bring in the highest ratings, regardless of which conference the teams play in.
Super Bowl LX (New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks) is scheduled for Feb 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. It will air on NBC and stream on Peacock. Spanish-language coverage will be on Telemundo and Universo.
Best Streaming Services to Watch the NFL Playoffs
The NFL is too popular for there not to be good options for streaming live games. That’s true of the regular season and even more true of the playoffs.
Get the NFL Postseason on Fubo
The Fubo (formerly FuboTV) Pro package is $79.99/month and comes with NBC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN, everything you need to watch every game.
But there’s a lot more, over 130 live TV channels with a special focus on sports with CBS Sports Network, FS1, FS2, ESPN2, Galavision, Golf Channel, NFL Network, and a whole collection of channels from beIN Sports and TUDN.
All Fubo plans come with a minimum of 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage and the ability to watch on up to 10 devices simultaneously.
Find out more in our Fubo review.
Watch NFL Playoff Games on DIRECTV
The DIRECTV (formerly AT&T TV) Entertainment package comes with local feeds of national channels such as NBC, CBS, and Fox as well as standard “cable” channels like ESPN. In all, you get roughly 80 channels for $59.99/month. There are three other plans if you want more including your local regional sports networks (RSNs).
DIRECTV comes with unlimited cloud DVR (as long as you sign up online) and the ability to stream on unlimited devices at once.
Our DIRECTV review has more details.
How to See the NFL Playoffs With Hulu + Live TV
For $82.99/month, you can get Hulu + Live TV. This service adds 85 live TV channels to the base Hulu on-demand plan with ESPN+ and Disney+. It includes all the playoff channels (CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN) plus NFL Network.
Start Hulu + Live TV Free Trial ↗︎
Hulu + Live TV comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9 months of storage) and the ability to stream on up to two devices at once.
See our Hulu + Live TV review for more details.
Sling TV Plans That Carry the NFL Playoffs
Sling TV is the most customizable of the streaming services but this does mean that it can be confusing to get the exact package you want.
Its Blue plan ($45.99/month) includes NBC and Fox. Its Orange plan ($45.99/month) comes with ESPN. You can get them both for $60.99/month.
You can’t get CBS directly through Sling TV. But if you pay for two months’ service upfront, they will give you a free indoor HD antenna, which will allow you to watch your local CBS affiliate.
The base Sling TV plans come with 50 hours of cloud DVR storage. The Blue plan comes with the ability to stream on up to three devices at once. But the Orange plan channels (eg, ESPN) can only be streamed on one device at a time.
See our Sling TV review for more, as well as our guide to watching the Super Bowl on Sling.
Other Streaming Services That Air NFL Postseason Games
There are other options for watching some of the live games of the NFL playoffs:
- Paramount+: Offers a cheap ($7.99/month) way to watch all the games that air on CBS. It is a particularly good addition for people who are using Sling TV as their primary streaming service.
- Peacock: Streams live coverage of any game that is broadcast on NBC. And it is only $10.99/month.
- YouTube TV: Another live TV streaming service, similar to Hulu + Live TV, for $82.99/month. It provides all the channels you’ll need to watch the NFL playoffs.
Stream the Playoffs With NFL+
NFL+ is a subscription-based service that lets you stream NFL games to your mobile device.
During the regular season and playoffs, NFL+ can stream live local and primetime games, but live local and primetime regular season and postseason games are available only on phones and tablets. If you want to watch on a TV, you will need the relevant channel or streaming service.
For more information, see our complete guide to NFL+.
Stream the NFL Playoffs Outside the US
The NFL is popular all over the world and, in most countries, it’s even easier to watch than in the United States.
Fans in most places can watch all the games with NFL Game Pass, only on DAZN. See our review for more details.
Fans in Canada can watch via DAZN.
For those in China and other areas, see our NFL Playoff VPN guide.
Streaming Devices For Watching the NFL Playoffs
It’s pretty easy to find a streaming service that will allow you to watch the NFL playoffs on your TVs and other devices, as most platforms are supported.
Samsung smart TVs are supported by all the streaming services. Fubo, Hulu, and Sling all support LG and Vizio smart TVs. And all the services support Android TV-based devices.
TV devices are supported by them all: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Roku. And so are mobile devices based on Android and iOS.
Similarly, you can use the Chromecast standard to cast from browsers and mobile devices to your TV.
Fubo, Sling TV, and Hulu + Live TV support the Xbox One gaming system. Hulu also supports the PlayStation.
You will find complete lists of supported devices in our individual streaming service reviews (linked above).
This Season’s NFL Playoff Schedule
For the current playoff bracket, dates, and TV assignments, see our NFL Games Guide. Network assignments can change, so we avoid hard-coding them here.
Wrapping Up
The NFL playoffs may be the most popular sporting event in the United States. Football games usually draw millions of viewers, regardless of who’s playing, what time they’re aired, or which network they appear on.
NFL post-season contests will appear on NBC, CBS, Fox, and ESPN. They will also be simulcast on other stations and streaming platforms such as Paramount+ and Peacock Premium.
Fubo is our top pick for watching all of the NFL playoffs.
FAQs
How can I watch the NFL playoffs for free?
Many NFL playoff games air on broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC. Broadcast-network playoff games can often be watched for free via an over-the-air signal if you have a digital antenna. Games carried by a cable channel or a streaming-only partner require that service.
See our antenna guide for more information.
How did Super Bowl LVII shake out?
Super Bowl games are often disappointments. But that wasn’t the case in Super Bowl LVII, as the Eagles and Chiefs proved to be well-matched.
By halftime, the Eagles were up 24-14, but the Chiefs rallied in the second half to win the game with a final score of 38-35.
The total of 73 points scored made Super Bowl LVII the third-highest-scoring Super Bowl game in history. And the Eagles’ 35 points were the most that have ever been scored by the Super Bowl losing team.
Can I watch the NFL playoffs with a VPN?
A VPN is a great tool for cord-cutters as it allows you to watch games that are blacked out or otherwise geo-restricted.
But it isn’t a streaming service itself. For complete information, see our NFL Playoff VPN Guide, which will explain all you need to know.
Update history
This page was revised 8 times between November 2021 and April 2023.
Added buttons for streaming services. Added sub-section. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Added some more links. Cleaned up list. Deleted unneeded sub-section.
Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Cross linking.
Added sub-section. Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. Cross linking.
Added buttons for streaming services. Added sub-section. Updated some sub-sections. Added a few links. Various changes.
Added sub-section. Image changes. Linking. Pricing updates.
Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Changes to formatting.
Added links to streaming services. Mentioned channel info. Added list of steps. Pricing updates. Added some more links. Various changes.
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Frank was the Senior Content Editor at Hotdog.com and an expert in sports streaming, specializing in out-of-market games and regional sports networks.
A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.
With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.
His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.
A passionate cord-cutter and longtime subscriber to numerous streaming services, Frank has first-hand experience navigating the complexities of sports streaming.
With a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the Oregon Graduate Institute and a professional background in early streaming technology, Frank combines deep technical insight with practical, real-world knowledge.
His mission at Hotdog.com was straightforward: help sports fans get hassle-free access to the games they love, at the best price, without frustration.
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