NFL Playoff Games | Watch on TV or Stream Online

Watch NFL Playoffs - All Games Nationally Televised

The NFL Playoffs is a single elimination tournament to decide the two teams going to the Super Bowl, consisting of a Wild Card Round, a Divisional Playoffs and a Conference Championship for both the NFC and AFC conferences. Every NFL Playoff game is nationally broadcast and airs over three weekends in January after the end of the regular season. 

All playoff games air on local TV stations, meaning you can watch every NFL Playoff game live over-the-air with a digital antenna for free, through your cable provider or stream the games online through a cord-cutting cable TV service. You can also stream these games by logging into the TV network’s website or mobile app with your cable credentials. 

Each of these networks will air one of the four Wild Card Round playoff games in the first weekend of the NFL Playoffs. ESPN will also simulcast the ABC game nationwide.

NBC, CBS and FOX air the four Divisional Round games the following weekend, with NBC airing the first game and CBS and FOX splitting up coverage for the other three games. CBS owns AFC broadcasting rights, so all the playoff games they air will feature AFC teams; same deal with FOX and the NFC.

Conference Championship games will air on only CBS and FOX. Both conference championship games will air on the same day, the Sunday following the Divisional Round games.

Mobile-Only Streaming & Radio Play-by-Play

You can live stream every NFL playoff game from either of these two apps completely free, but access to the games only work on mobile phones or tablets; you won't be able to mirror the game onto a TV.

Our NFL Radio Guide provides all the services and plans available to live stream play-by-play audio coverage for every NFL Playoff game.

Watch or Stream the Wild Card Round

The NFL Playoffs start with the Wild Card Round, which happens the weekend directly following the end of the regular season. Eight teams compete in this round - four teams from the AFC and four from the NFC. 

The top two seeds in the league get a bye this round while the #3 and #4 seed divisional winners from each conference face off against the #5 and #6 seeds from their same conference. Saturday games feature a doubeheader from one conference and Sunday features a doubleheader from the other. The division winners in this round always get home field advantage.

You can watch the Wild Card Round on local TV stations ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC; each station airs one game a piece for this round of the playoffs. ESPN simulcasts the ABC game nationwide. You can also stream these games online through a cord-cutting cable TV service or by logging into the website or mobile app of the TV network airing the game with your cable credentials.

Watch or Stream the Divisional Playoffs

The Divisional Playoffs happen the following weekend after the Wild Card Round. Eight teams compete in this round - the four winners from the first round and the four teams that got a first round bye.

The #1 seed from the AFC and NFC will each host a game against the lowest remaining seed from their conference during the Saturday doubleheader. And Sunday's doubleheader features each conference's #2 seeds hosting the other winner of the Wild Card Round. 

NBC will air one of the Divisional Playoff games while CBS broadcasts the remaining AFC Divisional Playoff games and FOX covers the remaining NFC Divisional games. Which games air where changes every season depending on which network gets to host the Super Bowl.

As with the first round, all these games can be watched on local TV, through your cable provider or online by logging in with your cable credentials.

Watch or Stream the Conference Championships

The Conference Championship games happen the Sunday following the Divisional Playoffs. These two games determine the conference champions and which AFC and NFC team will represent their conference in the Super Bowl. Home field advantage is given to the highest remaining seed in each conference. 

CBS will air the AFC Championship game and FOX will air the NFC Championship game. As with all other NFL Playoff games, these championship games can be watched live on local TV with a digital antenna, through your cable provider, streamed online with a cord-cutting TV service or by logging into either the CBS or FOX website or mobile app - cable credentials required.