X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

NFL Playoffs: How to watch Bengals vs. Chiefs on CBS, 49ers vs. Rams on Fox without cable

The winners will advance to Super Bowl LVI.

Matt Elliott Senior Editor
Matt Elliott is a senior editor at CNET with a focus on laptops and streaming services. Matt has more than 20 years of experience testing and reviewing laptops. He has worked for CNET in New York and San Francisco and now lives in New Hampshire. When he's not writing about laptops, Matt likes to play and watch sports. He loves to play tennis and hates the number of streaming services he has to subscribe to in order to watch the various sports he wants to watch.
Expertise Laptops, desktops, all-in-one PCs, streaming devices, streaming platforms
Eli Blumenthal Senior Editor
Eli Blumenthal is a senior editor at CNET with a particular focus on covering the latest in the ever-changing worlds of telecom, streaming and sports. He previously worked as a technology reporter at USA Today.
Expertise 5G, mobile networks, wireless carriers, phones, tablets, streaming devices, streaming platforms, mobile and console gaming,
Matt Elliott
Eli Blumenthal
4 min read
See at YouTube TV
YouTube TV
Carries CBS, Fox and NBC for $65 a month
See at FuboTV
FuboTV
Carries CBS, Fox and NBC for $65 a month
See at Hulu with Live TV
Hulu Plus Live TV
Carries CBS, Fox and NBC for $70 a month
See at DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream
Carries CBS, Fox and NBC for $70 a month
See at Sling TV
Sling TV
Carries NBC and Fox for $35 a month
See at Peacock
Peacock Premium
NBC games for $5 a month
See at Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus
CBS games for $5 a month

Welcome to the NFL's version of the final four -- Conference Championship weekend! The AFC Championship is up first on Sunday afternoon followed by the NFC Championship. The winners will meet in Super Bowl LVI in two weeks.

In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals knocked off the top seeded Tennessee Titans last weekend, while the Chiefs came back to beat the Buffalo Bills in overtime in one of the best games in NFL history. Meanwhile, two NFC West rivals will meet in the other conference championship when the Los Angeles Rams host the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams held on to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend, and the 49ers eliminated the Green Bay Packers to advance.

Here's the schedule for Sunday (all times ET):

  • Bengals at Chiefs, 3 p.m. on CBS and Paramount Plus
  • 49ers at Rams, 6:30 p.m. on Fox

The good news for football fans who cut the cable TV cord is that it's easier than ever to stream NFL playoff games live. This year inexpensive services, namely Peacock and Paramount Plus, are carrying NBC and CBS games, while premium live TV streaming services like YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV stream every game too. Here's how you can catch all the NFL playoff action.

gettyimages-1237845829

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC Championship on Sunday. 

Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Image

How to watch the NFL playoffs

Each network has one game left on its broadcast schedule. On Sunday, the AFC Championship will be on CBS, and the NFC Championship will be on Fox. In two weeks, the Super Bowl will be shown on NBC.

Major streaming providers such as YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, FuboTV and DirecTV Stream offer nearly all the major channels you'll need for the rest of the playoffs: CBS, NBC and Fox.

Sling TV offers NBC and Fox in some markets with its Blue package, but it lacks CBS.

If you're fine with watching on your phone or tablet, you can use the Yahoo Sports app to stream all the action.

What do I need to know about Peacock? 

All of NBC's NFL Playoff games -- including the Super Bowl on Feb. 13 -- will be available to stream on its Peacock streaming service, so long as you pay for one of its Premium subscriptions. 

There are two of these tiers, a $5-per-month Premium option that has ads (when watching nonlive content) and a $10-per-month Premium Plus option that will stream nonlive content ad-free (and let you download some content to watch offline).

How about Paramount Plus? 

Paramount Plus offers live CBS feeds with its Premium tier for $10 a month. Depending on where you live, however, your local CBS station (and those NFL games) might not be available. CBS offers livestreaming services in many markets; you can check if your area has live CBS streaming here

Best options to stream the NFL Playoffs

Here are our recommendations for the best ways to watch the NFL Playoffs without cable.

YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes all the channels needed to watch every NFL Playoff game. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.

Read our YouTube TV review.

FuboTV costs $65 a month and has all the NFL channels needed to watch every playoff game. Click here to see which local channels you get.

Read our FuboTV review.

Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes all the needed football channels. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.

Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

Formerly AT&T TV, DirecTV Stream's basic $70-a-month package includes all the major channels for football. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.

Read our DirecTV Stream review.

Sling TV's $35-a-month Blue plan includes NBC and Fox, but only in a handful of markets. Enter your address here to see if those local channels are available where you live. Sling does not offer CBS with any of its plans.

Read our Sling TV review.

Peacock will show NBC's games during the NFL Playoffs, including the Super Bowl on Feb. 13. You will, however, need one of the service's Premium plans to watch the games live and full-game replays, though highlights are available on the free tier. The ad-supported Premium plan costs $5 a month, and the ad-free Premium Plus plan costs $10 a month. Note that you'll still have to watch ads during live football with the $10 plan; ad-free applies only to on-demand content.

Read our Peacock review.

Those looking for CBS games will be able to stream them on Paramount Plus with its $5-per-month Essentials or $10-per-month Premium tier. You can check for yourself if your area has live CBS streaming here.

Read our Paramount Plus review.

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials (except Peacock, which just has a free tier that doesn't stream live NFL games), allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.