How to watch the 2026 NFL playoffs: Wild card weekend, divisional games, and championship games

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The most unchanged part of the NFL season is here. That’s right – it’s time to play, baby.

Whether your team is in or out, you’re probably wondering what kind of craziness the NFL has in store for this postseason. The good news is that there are no more market games to confuse and frustrate viewers. The bad news is that if you don’t have cable (or another cable outlet), you’re going to need a bunch of streaming services. do not be afraid; I’ve already done the annoying research for you. It’s better than wallowing in self-pity because my team didn’t make it (I’m a Ravens fan – IYKYK).

Here’s all the information 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 money.

What is the schedule for the 2026 NFL postseason?

Wild Card Round

Saturday, Jan. 10

Sunday, Jan. 11

• Bills at Jaguars 1 p.m. ET — CBS (air on Paramount+)

• 49ers at Eagles 4:30 pm ET — Fox (broadcast on Fox One)

• Chargers at Patriots 8 p.m. ET — NBC (broadcast on Peacock)

Monday, Jan. 12

The Division Cycle

The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are the No. 1 seeds. 1 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 Seattle for a spot in the NFC Championship. The games are TBD, but will be on Jan. 17 and 18.

Saturday, Jan. 17

• AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 4:30 pm ET — TBD

• AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 8pm ET – TBD

Sunday, Jan. 18

• AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 3 pm ET – TBD

• AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 6:30 pm ET — TBD

Championship round

Sunday, Jan. 25

The Super Bowl

Sunday, February 8

What streaming services do you need?

If you don’t have cable or a digital antenna (more on this below), you’ll need a few streaming subscriptions to watch the playoffs. It shouldn’t be surprising, considering how many different channels and subscriptions are required to watch the regular season. The good news is that you can easily sign up for one month of each service and cancel if you don’t want to continue paying. Also, some even offer free trials.

You’ll need the Fox, NBC, CBS, and ESPN/ABC networks to watch every postseason game, as well as Prime Video. Fortunately, all of these channels have human broadcast partners outside of cable.

For NFL playoffs 2026, you will need the following streaming services:

Another option, although more expensive, is to sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, such as YouTube TV or Fubo, which covers all the networks you’ll need to watch live sports (except Prime Video). The monthly cost of these services is higher than paying for all five sprays above, but most come with free trials. If you’ve never subscribed to YouTube TV before, for example, you’ll get a free 21-day trial. That gets you through to the Championship Round. You’ll still need to pay separately for a Prime Video subscription to the wildcard game, but this is your best bet to watch more games at a cheaper 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 an explanation 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 (again sometimes returning users).

Are there any deals to stream the NFL playoffs?

If you’ve already exhausted most of the free trial options, don’t worry. There are some money-saving options on select streaming services in advance of the playoffs. We’ve rounded up the best streaming deals for each service below.

Fox One broadcast deals

Fox One and a bunch of ESPN

Save $10 and kill two birds with one stone by signing up for the ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle. You’ll get both broadcasters for just $39.99 a month (up from $49.98), which will unlock access to three games in the wild-card round, about a game or two in the divisional round, and the NFC championship game.

Fox One annual plan

Another way to save on Fox One is to sign up for a year in advance for $199.99. Monthly payments add up to $239.88 over 12 months, so you’ll end up saving about $40 with the annual plan.

Best video streaming deals

Main video only

If you don’t care about being a Prime member, you can save yourself $6 a month by subscribing to Prime Video only. You won’t get the perks of being a member (like free shipping and access to Prime Day), but if you just want to stream sports and other content, this is your best bet.

Of course, Amazon makes it unnecessarily difficult to sign up for Prime Video on its own. When you go to sign up for a subscription, make sure you select the option to “see more programs” or “change programs.” Then, navigate to the Prime Video option alone. You can still cancel whenever you want, just like you would with a full Prime membership.

Some great video deals:

Peacock broadcast deals

Annual registration of the peacock

The best Peacock deal for most people on any given day (when Peacock isn’t running any specials) is the annual subscription plan. You’ll get 12 months for the price of 10 if you pay in advance for a whole year. While a monthly subscription with ads usually costs $10.99 per month, that price drops to $9.17 per month for the annual plan. Live sports include ads no matter what level you choose, so you may choose to get the cheaper Peacock Premium plan for the playoffs. A Peacock subscription gives you access not only to the game during wild card weekend, but to the Super Bowl itself.

More Peacock deals:

Main streaming agreements+

Annual subscription to Paramount+ Essential

Paramount+ is still one of the cheapest streaming services at just $7.99 a month with ads, but the price will jump to $8.99 a month in Jan. 15. To close the deal, we suggest you sign up for a year’s subscription before the price increase takes place. You’ll get a full year of streaming for just $59.99, which comes down to just $5 per month. You’ll get access to several different playoff games, including the AFC Championship game, as well as in-network AFC games throughout the regular season.

More Paramount+ deals:

ESPN unlimited streaming deals

See the Fox One bundle above.

Annual subscription to ESPN Unlimited

If you’re a big sports fan, you can save about $60 by signing up for a full year of ESPN Unlimited instead of paying monthly. It will cost you $299.99 in total, which comes down to just $24.99 per month instead of $29.99.

Another way to watch the NFL playoffs

Want to avoid signing up to a million streaming services just to watch the playoffs? I highly recommend getting a digital antenna. I got this cheap one from Amazon, and I can access ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox live for free — no streaming subscription required. Just be sure to check the range of any antenna you choose, and how far you are from your local broadcast towers. If you are 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 some networks, you’re golden.