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How To Watch the NFL Playoffs in 2025

The stakes are higher than ever! Prep for American football’s biggest tournament with our guide to watching the NFL Playoffs.

You can watch NFL playoff action on most of the same channels that aired this season’s biggest gridiron matchups—including CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC. If you’ve watched the playoffs before, you’ll recognize that these are the usual suspects. But with streaming becoming more popular, there are more ways to tune in than ever before.

Keep reading as we break down the various options available for watching the NFL postseason. And don’t miss our How To Watch the Super Bowl guide, where we outline the specifics surrounding Super Bowl LIX.

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Score the best TV and internet providers in your area

Don’t miss a single minute of the NFL Playoffs. Enter your zip code below to see the top TV and internet providers available for your home.

What channels have the NFL Playoffs?

You can watch NFL playoff games across CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, and Prime Video Sports platforms. The following six channels will carry every playoff game this season.

We list ESPN and ABC together because ESPN’s two playoff games will simulcast on ABC. Sometimes, ESPN2 gets in on the ESPN/ABC fun with an alternate telecast. But our favorite alt coverage comes via Nickelodeon, which typically hosts an NFL on Nickelodeon simulcast for one of CBS’s playoff games. Who knew football and slime went together so well?

Spanish-language channels also offer live NFL playoff coverage. If you prefer American football en Español, you can switch to ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and UNIVERSO/Telemundo instead of ESPN/ABC, FOX, and NBC. CBS usually provides Spanish-language audio through the secondary audio programming (SAP) feature.

Pro tip: All NFL playoff games that air on NBC also stream on Peacock, while all CBS games stream on Paramount+. Similarly, every playoff game airing on ESPN/ABC streams live on ESPN+.

NFL Playoffs TV schedule

The NFL Playoffs kick off with the Wild Card Round, starting Saturday, January 11. Below is the 2024–2025 playoff schedule, culminating with Super Bowl LIX on February 9 in New Orleans.

Game Date Time (ET) Channels
Wild Card Round
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans Saturday, Jan. 11 4:30 p.m. CBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount+
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens Saturday, Jan. 11 8:00 p.m. Amazon Prime Video
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills Sunday, Jan. 12 1:00 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Jan. 12 4:30 p.m. FOX, Fox Deportes
Washington Commanders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday, Jan. 12 8:00 p.m. NBC, UNIVERSO, Peacock
Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Rams Monday, Jan. 13 8:00 p.m. ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
Divisional Round
Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, Jan. 18 4:30 p.m. ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions Saturday, Jan. 18 8:00 p.m. FOX, Fox Deportes
Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Jan. 19 3:00 p.m. NBC, Telemundo, UNIVERSO, Peacock
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills Sunday, Jan. 19 6:30 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
Conference Championships
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Jan. 26 3:00 p.m. FOX, Fox Deportes
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 26 6:30 p.m. CBS, Paramount+
Super Bowl LIX
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Feb. 9 6:30 p.m. FOX, Fox Deportes, Tubi, Telemundo

Data effective as of post date.

Best TV plans for watching the NFL Playoffs

You don’t need to shop for a super expansive (not to mention expensive) TV plan to watch the NFL Playoffs. Apart from the wild card game on Amazon Prime Video, you can catch the playoffs on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. All four channels are accessible over the air with the proper digital antenna setup, which we explain more thoroughly in our section below on watching the NFL Playoffs for free.

If playoff channels are unavailable to you via antenna, signing up for a streaming service is the next most convenient option. YouTube TV is our favorite live TV streaming service for watching the NFL Playoffs. It has 100+ channels, including every playoff channel (except Prime Video) and NFL Network for extra football coverage. You can also get ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and UNIVISION with YouTube TV’s Spanish Plus add-on for an extra $14.99 a month. But you’ll first need to ensure your internet is fast and reliable enough to stream NFL games.

Pro tip: Our Internet Services and Equipment guide is an excellent resource for browsing internet providers and money-saving deals. You can also visit HighSpeedInternet.com’s Internet Speed Test to verify your current internet speeds.

NFL+ (formerly NFL Game Pass) offers a cheap alternative for watching every NFL playoff game. For as low as $6.99 a month, an NFL+ subscription gives you live access to the entire postseason—even that Prime Video game—and NFL Network through the NFL mobile app. That means you can watch live games only on your phone or tablet. But hey, it beats constantly refreshing social media for score updates.

Which TV providers offer NFL playoff channels?

Most TV providers offer NFL playoff channels. To prove that, we compiled 13 popular providers in the table below and highlighted whether they carry CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC.

Provider Price CBS ESPN FOX NBC Details
Cox $61.00–$152.00/mo.
Read Cox review
DIRECTV $74.99–$164.99/mo. View plans

Read DIRECTV review
DIRECTV STREAM $74.99–$154.99/mo. View plans

Read DIRECTV STREAM review
DISH $97.99–$147.99/mo. View plans

Read DISH review
Fubo $32.99–$89.99/mo. View plans

Read Fubo review
Hulu + Live TV $81.99–$95.99/mo. View plans

Read Hulu + Live TV review
Optimum $40.00–$135.00/mo. View plans

Read Optimum review
Philo $28.00/mo. View plans

Read Philo review
Sling TV $45.99–$60.99/mo. ✔* ✔* View plans

Read Sling TV review
Spectrum $45.00–$105.00/mo. Check Availability

Read Spectrum review
Verizon Fios $85.00–$129.00/mo. View plans

Read Verizon Fios review
Xfinity $20.00–$80.00/mo.
Read Xfinity review
YouTube TV $82.99/mo. View plans

Read YouTube TV review

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

*Available only in select markets.

How to watch the NFL Playoffs for free

Get free local channels
Recommended antenna:
Mohu Leaf 50 ($39.99, one-time purchase)
NFL playoff channels:
ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC
Features:
All local broadcast channels

†CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 1/9/25 2:00 p.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.

The great thing about the NFL Playoffs is that almost every game airs nationally on the four most popular broadcast television networks. We say “almost” because of the one game that streams on Prime Video. Regardless, ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC are free to watch if you have an OTA antenna and compatible TV within range of each channel’s nearest affiliate station.

If you don’t have an antenna, check out our Best OTA Antennas page to browse some of our top picks. But before you settle on the one-time purchase, you’ll want to enter your zip code on the FCC’s Reception Map Tool to see what type of antenna range you’ll need.

The Mohu Leaf 50 is a fantastic option for those who live in the suburbs. Its 60-mile range and included amplifier provide solid channel reception. But you may need something with a greater range if you live in a rural area.

Pro tip: Antenna TV is an excellent way to catch every Sunday Night Football and some Monday Night Football games during the regular season. Unfortunately, Thursday Night Football is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video.

How to watch the NFL Playoffs FAQ

Can I watch the NFL Playoffs without cable?

Yes, you can watch the NFL Playoffs on any live TV streaming service that offers CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, and NBC. NFL+ also provides live access to every NFL postseason game for phone and tablet users.

Which streaming service has the NFL Playoffs?

Any live TV streaming service that carries CBS, ESPN, FOX, and NBC will have almost every NFL playoff game. But you’ll also need Amazon Prime Video to watch its exclusive Steelers–Ravens wild card matchup. Other platforms like ESPN+ and Paramount+ carry select playoff games, while mobile device users can catch the entire NFL Playoffs on NFL+.

Will the NFL Playoffs be on Amazon Prime?

Yes, Amazon Prime Video will have one NFL playoff game during the 2024–2025 season. You can also catch CBS playoff games on Prime Video by subscribing to Paramount+ through Prime Video’s add-on channels.

Will the NFL Playoffs be on Peacock?

Yes, two NFL playoff games will be on Peacock this season—including one wild card game and one Divisional Round matchup. Check out our NFL on Peacock guide to learn more about the service’s gridiron content this season.

Does NFL RedZone include the playoffs?

No, NFL RedZone isn’t on the air during the postseason. Like NFL Sunday Ticket, the channel provides coverage only on Sundays during the regular season.

Why you should trust us

Our sports experts spent over eight hours examining the best ways to watch the NFL Playoffs. We compared the prices and channel offerings of the most popular TV services. Then, we selected our viewing recommendations based on convenience—focusing on channel availability, pricing, and ease of signing up.

Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.

CableTV.com Sports logo featuring animated athlete with raised hands.

Disclaimer

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

†Amazon.com price as of 1/9/25 2:00 p.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

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