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Tom Brady jogs on the field ahead of a game against the San Francisco 49ers.
AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn
- The 2022-23 NFL season enters the playoffs with the Wild Card round on January 14 to 16.
- Playoff games will air on national TV, with matchups scheduled for Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and ABC.
- You can stream select games without cable through services like Paramount Plus, Peacock, and Sling TV.
The NFL Playoffs begin January 14 with six games set to run across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in the Wild Card round.
Saturday will feature an NFC West matchup between the Seahawks and 49ers, and the Chargers playing the Jaguars. Sunday has three matchups, including the Dolphins and Bills, Giants and Vikings, and Ravens and Bengals.
ESPN will air its only postseason game on Monday night, with the Dallas Cowboys visiting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game will simulcast on ABC and stream on ESPN+ as well. Peyton and Eli Manning will also host their own simulcast of the game on ESPN2.
To help you catch every game during the postseason, we’ve broken down all your options to watch the NFL playoffs without cable, along with a schedule for this weekend’s Wild Card games.
NFL Playoffs Wild Card schedule
|
Game |
Date and time |
Channel |
|
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers |
January 14, 4:30 p.m. ET |
Fox |
|
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars |
January 14, 8:15 p.m. ET |
NBC, Peacock |
|
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills |
January 15, 1 p.m. ET |
CBS, Paramount Plus Premium |
|
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings |
January 15, 4:30 p.m. ET |
Fox |
|
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals |
January 15, 8:15 p.m. ET |
NBC, Peacock |
|
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
January 16, 8:15 p.m. ET |
ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ |
How to watch the NFL Playoffs
Every game of the NFL Playoffs will be broadcast on national television, with matchups spread across CBS, NBC, Fox, ESPN, and ABC. If you don’t have cable, you can watch playoff games with a digital antenna. You can also watch games across a few different streaming services.
CBS games are available to stream on Paramount Plus, FuboTV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. Paramount Plus is the cheapest of the bunch at $5 a month.
NBC games are available on Peacock Premium, Sling TV Blue, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV. Of that group, Peacock Premium is the most affordable at $5 a month.
Fox matchups can be streamed through Sling TV Blue, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV. Sling TV is the least expensive at $40 a month. Just note, Fox is only available through Sling in select markets.
ESPN games will also be available to stream on ESPN+, Sling TV Orange, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV. ESPN+ is the most affordable of the bunch at $10 a month.
Finally, NFL+ offers streaming access to every playoff game, but playback is limited to mobile devices, so you can only use it to watch games on your phone or tablet, and not on your TV. NFL+ starts at $5 a month if you want to stream games on the go.
What’s the format for the NFL playoffs?
The NFL Playoffs use a single elimination tournament to decide the season’s champion. The four division winners from each conference earn top seeding in the playoff bracket, with three more teams in each conference earning playoff seeds based on their regular season record.
In total, 14 teams are competing in the playoffs. The team with the best regular season record in each conference earns a first-round bye, allowing them to skip the Wild Card round. This season, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs earned byes.
When is the 2023 Super Bowl?
Super Bowl LVII is set for February 12; kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox. The game will be played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the home field of the Cardinals.
