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Essentially the most unhinged a part of the NFL season is right here. That is proper — it is playoffs time, child.
Whether or not your crew is in or out, you are most likely questioning what sort of streaming insanity the NFL has in retailer for this postseason. The excellent news is there are not any extra out of market video games to confuse and frustrate viewers. The dangerous information is that if you do not have cable (or a cable alternative), you are going to want a bunch of streaming companies. Worry not; I’ve executed the annoying analysis for you already. It is higher than wallowing in self pity as a result of my crew did not make the playoffs (I am a Ravens fan — IYKYK).
Listed below are all the main points you have to watch the NFL playoffs in 2026, together with the tentative schedule, which streaming companies you want, which of them provide free trials, and one of the best streaming offers to avoid wasting you some cash.
What’s the 2026 NFL postseason schedule?
Wild Card Spherical
Saturday, Jan. 10
Sunday, Jan. 11
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Payments at Jaguars at 1 p.m. ET — CBS (stream on Paramount+)
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49ers at Eagles at 4:30 p.m. ET — Fox (stream on Fox One)
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Chargers at Patriots at 8 p.m. ET — NBC (stream on Peacock)
Monday, Jan. 12
Divisional Spherical
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are the No. 1 seeds of their respective divisions, so that they earned a first-round bye. Within the Divisional Spherical, the bottom seed remaining within the AFC after the Wild Card weekend will play Denver for a spot within the AFC Championship. The bottom remaining seed within the NFC will face off in opposition to Seattle for a spot within the NFC Championship. These video games are TBD, however will fall on Jan. 17 and 18.
Saturday, Jan. 17
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AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 4:30 p.m. ET — TBD
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AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 8 p.m. ET — TBD
Sunday, Jan. 18
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AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 3 p.m. ET — TBD
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AFC or NFC divisional matchup, 6:30 p.m. ET — TBD
Championship Spherical
Sunday, Jan. 25
Tremendous Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8
Which streaming companies do you want?
If you do not have cable or a digital antenna (extra on this beneath), you may want fairly just a few streaming subscriptions to look at the playoffs. It ought to come as no shock, contemplating what number of totally different channels and subscriptions had been required to look at the common season. The excellent news is you possibly can simply join a single month of every service after which cancel in case you do not wish to maintain paying. Plus, some even provide free trials.
You may want Fox, NBC, CBS, and ESPN/ABC networks to look at each postseason sport, plus Prime Video. Thankfully, all of those channels have streaming counterparts for people with out cable.
For the NFL 2026 playoffs, you may want the next streaming companies:
An alternative choice, albeit an costly one, is to enroll in a stay TV cable alternative service, like YouTube TV or Fubo, which incorporates all the networks you may want to look at stay video games (besides Prime Video). The month-to-month price for these companies is larger than paying for all 5 of the streamers above, however most include free trials. For those who’ve by no means signed up for YouTube TV earlier than, for instance, you may get a 21-day free trial. That will get you all over the Championship Spherical. You’d nonetheless must pay individually for a Prime Video subscription for a wildcard sport, however that is your finest wager to look at essentially the most video games for the most cost effective value.
Mashable Prime Tales
Reside TV cable alternative choices:
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YouTube TV (carries Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN)
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Fubo (carries Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN)
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DirecTV Stream (carries ABC, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox in choose markets)
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Sling Orange & Blue (carries ESPN, Fox, ABC, and NBC in choose markets)
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Hulu + Reside TV (carries ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC)
Which streaming companies provide free trials?
Of the streaming companies and cable alternative choices above, here is a breakdown of which of them provide free trials and the way lengthy these trials final. Simply keep in mind, these trials are solely out there to new customers generally (and typically returning customers).
Are there any streaming offers for the NFL playoffs?
For those who’ve already exhausted many of the free trial choices, fret not. There are some choices to economize on choose streaming companies in time for the playoffs. We have rounded up one of the best streaming offers for every service beneath.
Fox One streaming offers
Fox One and ESPN bundle
$39.99/month (save $9.99/month)
Save $10 and kill two birds with one stone by signing up for the ESPN Limitless and Fox One bundle. You may get each streamers for simply $39.99 per 30 days (fairly than $49.98), which can unlock entry to a few video games within the wild card spherical, probably a sport or two within the divisional spherical, in addition to the NFC championship sport.
Fox One annual plan
$199.99/12 months (save $39.89)
One other option to save on Fox One is by signing up for all the 12 months upfront for $199.99. Paying month-to-month provides as much as $239.88 throughout 12 months, so you may find yourself saving almost $40 with an annual plan.
Prime Video streaming offers
Prime Video solely
$8.99/month (save $6/month in comparison with Prime subscription)
For those who do not care about being a Prime member, it can save you your self $6 per 30 days by signing up for Prime Video solely. You will not get the perks of being a member (like free transport and Prime Day entry), however in case you solely wish to stream sports activities and different content material, that is your finest wager.
After all, Amazon makes it unnecessarily difficult to enroll in Prime Video by itself. Whenever you go to enroll in a subscription, make sure to choose the choice to “see extra plans” or “change plans.” Then, navigate to the choice for Prime Video by itself. You possibly can nonetheless cancel everytime you need, simply as you’d a full Prime membership.
Extra Prime Video offers:
Peacock streaming offers
Peacock annual subscription
$109.99/12 months (save $21.89)
The very best Peacock deal for most individuals on any given day (when Peacock is not operating any kind of particular) is the annual subscription plan. You may get 12 months for the value of 10 once you pay upfront for the entire 12 months. Whereas a month-to-month subscription with advertisements often prices $10.99 per 30 days, that value drops to $9.17 per 30 days with the annual plan. Reside sports activities embrace advertisements no matter which tier you select, so that you may as properly go for the cheaper Peacock Premium plan for the playoffs. A Peacock subscription grants you entry to not solely a sport throughout wild card weekend, but in addition the Tremendous Bowl itself.
Extra Peacock offers:
Paramount+ streaming offers
Paramount+ Important annual subscription
$59.99/12 months (save $35.89)
Paramount+ continues to be one of many most cost-effective streaming companies at simply $7.99 per 30 days with advertisements, however the value is about to leap to $8.99 per 30 days come Jan. 15. With a view to lock in a deal, we advise signing up for the annual subscription earlier than that value hike takes place. You may get a whole 12 months of streaming for under $59.99, which breaks down to only $5 per 30 days. You may get entry to a couple totally different playoff video games, together with the AFC Championship sport, in addition to in-network AFC video games all through the common season.
Extra Paramount+ offers:
ESPN Limitless streaming offers
See Fox One bundle above.
ESPN Limitless annual subscription
$299.99/12 months (save $59.89)
For those who’re an enormous sports activities fan, it can save you about $60 by signing up for a full 12 months of ESPN Limitless as a substitute of paying month-to-month. It’s going to price you $299.99 in whole, which breaks right down to solely $24.99 per 30 days as a substitute of $29.99.
One other option to watch the NFL playoffs
Wish to keep away from signing up for 1,000,000 streaming companies simply to look at the playoffs? I extremely advocate getting a digital antenna. I’ve this low cost one from Amazon, and I will entry ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox stay at no cost — no streaming subscription required. Simply make sure to test how far the vary is for whichever antenna you select, in addition to how far you’re out of your native broadcast towers. For those who’re in that vary, you need to be capable of watch stay TV at no cost. After all, you may nonetheless want that pesky Prime Video subscription, however for the opposite networks, you are golden.
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