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NFL Playoffs Divisional Round: How to watch Browns vs. Chiefs on CBS today without cable

The Cleveland Browns will look to keep their upset run going against the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

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.
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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.
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Eli Blumenthal
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4 min read
See at YouTube TV
YouTube TV
Offers all available NFL channels
See at FuboTV
FuboTV
Offers all available NFL channels
See at Hulu
Hulu Plus Live TV
Offers CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN
See at AT&T TV
AT&T TV
Offers CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN
See at Sling TV
Sling TV
It's complicated, but Sling offers Fox, NBC, NFL Network and ESPN

Despite playing without a bubble during the fall and winter of an unprecedented pandemic, the NFL has somehow made it to the playoffs. COVID-19 outbreaks on multiple teams caused postponements and shuffled schedules earlier in the season, but the league muddled through. Last week's opening round of this year's NFL Playoffs saw the Bills hold off the Colts, the Rams' stout defense upset the Seahawks and the Bucs outlast Washington to kick off Saturday's edition of Super Wild Card Weekend. Sunday's fun saw the Ravens take down the Titans, the Saints beat the Bears and the Browns upset the Steelers

Saturday's opening action in the Divisional Round saw the Packers take down the Rams in the afternoon game and the Bills knock off the Ravens in the nightcap. Sunday afternoon features the second doubleheader of the weekend, starting with Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns going to Arrowhead Stadium to take on Patrick Mahomes and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is set for 3:05 p.m. ET (12:05 p.m. PT) on CBS.

Here's how you can watch all the action live without cable.

gettyimages-1294017551

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs begin their quest for a second straight Super Bowl title on Sunday. 

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

What is the NFL schedule for this weekend? 

There are four games this weekend, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. The remaining games are as follows: 

  • Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs, 3:05 p.m. ET (12:05 p.m. PT) on CBS
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints, 6:40 p.m. ET (3:40 p.m. PT) on Fox 

How can I watch the NFL without cable? 

You can stream the NFL regular season, no cable required, on any live-TV streaming service that carries channels with live games. Numerous such services offer broadcast networks like CBS, NBC and Fox as well as ESPN and the NFL Network. Exact channels may also vary based on where you live, but the best services for NFL fans are YouTube TV and FuboTV.

Read more: NFL streaming: Best ways to watch the 2020 football season live without cable

YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes all the channels NFL fans need: CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.

FuboTV costs $65 a month for its Family plan and includes CBS, Fox and NBC plus ESPN and the NFL Network. Click here to see which local channels you get.

Hulu Plus Live TV costs $65 a month and includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. The NFL Network is not available from this service.

AT&T TV's basic, $70-a-month Entertainment package includes CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. You can read more on AT&T's merger of its AT&T TV and TV Now services here

Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $30-a-month Blue plan and $30-a-month Orange plan, which forces NFL fans into a tricky choice or encourages them to spring for both at $45 a month. Sling Blue includes the NFL Network, NBC and Fox while Sling Orange includes ESPN. 

Sling TV doesn't offer CBS, but its packages are discounted by $10 for the first month. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live.

Paramount Plus costs $6 per month and will let you watch the games being broadcast on your local CBS station on Sundays if you live in one of these 206 markets where the service offers live TV. It makes for a good add-on for Sling TV subscribers, who don't get CBS.

All of the services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.

Finally, cord-cutters can receive free local CBS, Fox and NBC broadcasts using an over-the-air antenna.

When did the NFL season start? 

The NFL regular season began on Thursday, Sept. 10, with the Houston Texans visiting the Kansas City Chiefs.

Where are games being played? 

Teams play their games as scheduled in their respective home stadiums. 

Are fans allowed in? 

Some teams allow fans and some do not. 

The Chiefs, for example, hosted their home opener on Sept. 10 with 15,895 fans in attendance, 21% of Arrowhead's capacity. 

Other teams, including the Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears, hosted their respective home openers without fans in the stands in Week 2. This so far has been a team-by-team, city-by-city situation subject to change throughout the season.

What happened to the preseason? 

The NFL canceled the entire 2020 preseason in July, with teams focusing on doing their own training camps to prepare for the upcoming season. 

Which players are sitting out? 

Like in other sports, a fair number of NFL players opted out of the 2020 season. Here are a few of the notable players not participating this year, with a larger list available at ESPN

  • Patrick Chung, S, New England Patriots
  • Dont'a Hightower, LB, New England Patriots
  • Marqise Lee, WR, New England Patriots
  • Marquise Goodwin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
  • Devin Funchess, WR, Green Bay Packers
  • Geronimo Allison, WR, Detroit Lions
  • C.J. Mosley, LB, New York Jets
  • Nate Solder, OT, New York Giants
  • Damien Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs