Watch the Super Bowl live this Sunday, February 12 with kickoff at from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Don’t miss out!
Depending on where you are located, you may need a VPN to watch the NFL playoffs. Read on to learn all you need to know.
In a hurry? A VPN is a powerful tool that allows you to stream the content you want when regional blackouts get in the way. Our top VPN picks are:
- ExpressVPN: Our top pick with VPN servers in over 90 countries and many features like smart DNS and unlimited bandwidth. Comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Table Of Contents
Unlike soccer (football) around the world, the playoffs of the NFL are super important. It isn’t enough to be the best team of the regular season. to be crowned as the best, a team must also go undefeated in the playoffs.
There are four rounds of playoffs: wild card, divisional, conference championships, and the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl, of course, is one of the biggest sporting events in all of sports. And beyond that, it features related content that brings in viewers who are not sports fans. These include the premier of big-budget commercials and the iconic Halftime Show, this year featuring Rihanna.
How to Use a VPN to Stream NFL Playoff Games
VPNs are a sophisticated form of technology. But we don’t need to think about that, because using a VPN is easy. That’s one reason the slogan of ExpressVPN is, “The VPN that just works.”
Here is the process for watching the NFL playoffs with a VPN:
- Sign up for ExpressVPN or another of the top providers. Our VPN overview explains all your options. But you will probably be fine with any of the top services. However, keep in mind exactly what you want to do and what problems you need to solve. Server locations is usually a critical issue.
- Set up your VPN. Most people do this device-by-device. However, it may be better to set up your VPN through your router. That way, all your internet traffic is protected. And if you use a Roku device for streaming, you will have to do this since those devices do not allow VPN apps to run on them.
- Determine where the game you want to watch is streaming. You still need to get the rights to view it.
- Set your VPN to the appropriate location and stream!
All the top VPN services manage pretty much all content providers, even notoriously picky ones like Netflix. If you are interested in getting into more of the details about the technology, check out our VPN Guide. It includes information on dedicated IP address, smart DNS, multihop, P2P servers, and more.
A VPN acts by putting a layer of security between you and the rest of the internet. Under normal circumstances, your internet service provider (ISP) can see every website that you visit. When you use a VPN, they can only see that you visit a VPN. All of your internet activity takes place inside the virtual private network created by the VPN service.
What does that mean? No one is looking over your shoulder. You are secure. You are private. And it eliminates geo-restrictions.
VPNs Are Not Streaming Platforms
VPNs are powerful tools, but they are not streaming services. You still need to find the games you want to stream. VPNs simply allow you to watch NFL games that you are blocked from seeing because of your location.
Global rights to the NFL are complicated. That’s why Game Pass is available in one country but not another. And in the US, they are a mess. But that doesn’t relieve you of your obligations to the law.
You need to find a broadcaster that can legally deliver you games. Then, a VPN will allow you to watch.
Upcoming NFL Games
This is it! The Super Bowl is here.
- Sunday February 12th : Super Bowl LVII.
How to Watch NFL Games Anywhere
The NFL has done a good job of providing access not just of their playoffs but of their entire preseason and regular season. In almost every country in the world, you can watch whatever football game you want with NFL Game Pass International.
There are major exceptions, however. The key to watching the playoffs and the Big Game itself is finding out who has broadcasting rights in any given location.
How to Stream the NFL Playoffs in the USA
The way the NFL is distributed in the US during the regular season is regionalized. It can be a challenge to watch out-of-market NFL games. Luckily, that isn’t an issue in the postseason.
Coverage of the NFL playoffs in the United States is complete. But these live NFL games are distributed by four different entities:
- ABC, ESPN, ESPN2: Final Wild Card game
- CBS: 1 Wild Card, 2 Division, and AFC final
- Fox: 2 Wild Card, 1 Division, and NFC final, Super Bowl
- NBC: 2 Wild Card, 1 Division
These should air wherever you are in the United States. But if you are near a border or suffer from misbehaving geolocation software, you may require a VPN.
How to Watch the NFL Postseason in Canada
The NFL playoffs are provided to Canadian viewers through CTV in English and RDS in French.
NFL Game Pass isn’t available directly in Canada. But NFL fans there can get it via a subscription to DAZN, which is an awesome sports streaming service, especially in Canada.
Stream NFL Games Live in the United Kingdom
You should be able to watch all of the NFL playoffs in 2023 with Sky Sports and ITV. Both will air Super Bowl LVII. Sky Go and NOW provide streaming options. BBC Radio 5 Live will provide audio but since the BBC One will not be airing the game, it will not be available through BBC iPlayer.
You can also stream via NFL Game Pass.
Watch the NFL Playoffs in China
China is the other major country that isn’t supported by NFL Game Pass. We don’t have any information at this time about NFL playoff broadcasting in China for 2023.
But eight channels broadcast Super Bowl LVI: BesTV, Fox Sports, Fujian Sports, G-Sports, Guangdong Sports, Hangzhou Sports, Tencent, and Tianjin Sports. Most of these are regional channels. We will provide more information if it becomes available.
One bright spot is that NFL Game Pass is available in Hong Kong. So you should be able to sign up and watch through a VPN. All the major VPN providers have servers in Hong Kong.
How to Live Stream the 2023 NFL Playoffs
We like to provide information for fans all over the world, but we are based in the US and most of our readers are too. Most of these readers will not need a VPN to watch the NFL playoffs since all games are aired nationally. (Regular season games are broadcast regionally.) But there will be marginal cases and errors that require a VPN.
These services will allow you to stream NFL games. This includes all of the playoff games. But it also includes all games of the NFL season in your area. This means you will miss the many games that take place at the same time. But you can avoid this by upgrading the plans with NFL RedZone.
- FuboTV: This sports-oriented streaming service offers 120+ channels for only $74.99/mo with many options. (FuboTV review)
- DIRECTV STREAM: A dependable brand, it offers plans starting at $74.99/mo. Note that it doesn’t include NFL Network or NFL RedZone, but this won’t matter for the playoffs and we expect it to be different next year. (DIRECTV STREAM review)
- Hulu + Live TV: Provides 85+ live channels along with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $69.99/mo. (Hulu + Live TV review)
- YouTube TV: Get 100+ channels for $72.99/mo.
There are two lower-priced streaming services that will allow you to watch most of the games. But they don’t offer CBS. You could combine these with a Paramount+ subscription or an antenna.
- Sling TV: Offers two based plans starting at $40.00/mo. (Sling TV review and Super Bowl Guide)
- Vidgo: Get 100+ channels for $69.99/mo. (Vidgo review)
Devices For Watching the NFL Playoffs With a VPN
Modern VPNs work on almost all the streaming devices in use today. This list probably includes one or more of the devices you own: Android Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, mobile devices (Android, iOS), smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
There is a major exception, however: Roku do not support VPNs. All the top VPNs allow you to get around this by setting up the service through your router.
Wrapping Up
VPNs provide you with the best privacy and security you can get. They are also essential tools for serious cord-cutters. Everyone should have one. Our favorite choice is ExpressVPN. Sign up today!
FAQs
Can I use a free VPN to watch the NFL playoffs?
It’s possible to use free VPNs to watch NFL playoff games. But our experience with free VPNs has been very bad. In a general sense, they aren’t safe. They don’t provide the kinds of processes that guarantee your security and privacy. But they also don’t have the kind of server network that you need. You don’t want your connection failing in the middle of a game.
Given that the top VPNs in the world like ExpressVPN and NordVPN only cost a few dollars per month, they are a better choice.
What devices can I stream the Super Bowl on?
The supported devices will depend upon the streaming service you use to watch the Super Bowl. Most streaming services provide support for the most popular devices. These include Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and mobile, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS devices (eg, iPhones), Roku, and web browsers (Windows/Mac). Many also support gaming consoles like the Xbox and PlayStation.
The major VPNs support all the same devices except for Roku, which does not support VPNs. But there is an easy way to get around this by running your VPN through your home router.
Can I watch Super Bowl replays with a VPN?
Your VPN does not provide content directly. Whether or not you can watch Super Bowl replays (or NFL games on-demand more generally) will depend upon the streaming service you are using. In general, the answer is yes. Most services provide replays directly — that includes services like NFL+ and NFL Game Pass — and others provide DVRs that allow you to record games.
How do I go about watching my favorite team?
We’ve written articles on watching the games for fans of every team:
Can I stream Super Bowl LVII on Amazon Prime?
You cannot watch Super Bowl LVII on Amazon Prime Video. But the day is coming when the big game will air there. Amazon has moved strongly into NFL streaming. Starting this year (and for the next decade), it is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. Although it isn’t streaming any playoff games, we expect this to change in the years ahead.
Are the playoffs included in NFL Sunday Ticket?
NFL Sunday Ticket is an out-of-market package, which provides only the games that are not shown in your area. Since playoffs are shown nationwide, they are not included with a Sunday Ticket subscription. If you don’t mind watching on a small screen, check out NFL+, since it provides all of the playoff games.
In what countries is NFL Game Pass International available in?
NFL Game Pass International is available in most countries. Here is the complete list in alphabetical order by letter.
A
Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
B
Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Barbuda, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, British VI., Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
C
Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Caymans, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Christmas Island, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Curacao, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d’Ivoire.
D
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic.
E
Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia.
F
Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guyana, French Polynesia.
G
Gabon, Gambia, Gaza Strip, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guyana.
H
Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary.
I
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Isle Of Man, Israel, Italy.
J
Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan.
K
Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan.
L
Lao PDR, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
M
Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
N
Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway.
O
Oman.
P
Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal.
Q
Qatar.
R
Reunion, Romania, Rwanda.
S
Saint-Martin, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, St Barthelemy, St Christopher & Nevis, St Helena, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Martin, St Pierre and Miquelon, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.
T
Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos.
U
Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan.
V
Vanuatu, Vatican, Venezuela, Vietnam.
W
West Bank, Western Sahara.
X
Y
Yemen.
Z
Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Featured image cropped from Super Bowl 50 by Steve Jurvetson under CC BY 2.0.
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