How to watch NFL Wild Card Weekend: Best options 2024

This season, DISH has the channels you need for watching NFL games if you prefer a more traditional satellite TV service. You can watch live coverage of many pro football games on your local channels, where you’ll find coverage for your local team. For a limited time, when new customers purchase America’s top 120 Plus, 200 or 250 packages, you’ll also get access to the Multi-Sport package with NFL Network, NFL RedZone and more channels for sports coverage.

Watch on DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is a fan favorite for sports lovers of all kinds, and it’s a great choice for Wild Card Weekend. You only need the entry-level Entertainment plan to watch the opening round of the playoffs. It costs $79.99 a month and includes every network airing the opening weekend action. It’s a solid plan with over 75 channels, including a few key sports networks like ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox Sports 1 (FS1).

For sports-first cord-cutters, the Choice plan offers much more coverage. It’s quite expensive, at $108.99 a month, but this plan includes more than 15 major sports networks, even the regional sports networks (RSNs) that most other platforms don’t carry. Whichever DIRECTV STREAM option you choose, you’ll get unlimited cloud DVR storage and simultaneous streams at home. If you want to try it out over Wild Card Weekend, there’s even a five-day free trial of DIRECTV STREAM.

Watch on Fubo

Is DIRECTV STREAM’s sports lineup not quite enough? Fubo is made for you. This sports-focused platform offers the basic Pro plan which features more than 30 sports networks, including all channels showing Wild Card Weekend games. You’ll also get RSNs, 1,000 hours of cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams at home. The Pro plan costs $74.99 a month, but keep in mind that you’ll also pay a regional sports fee of up to $13.99 a month.

Fubo also offers an array of upgrade options to add even more sports, as well as more news and entertainment. All told, you can get almost 300 channels on this platform, not to mention premium add-ons like SHOWTIME or STARZ. However, some cord-cutters will be disappointed by Fubo’s big omissions, as it’s missing major networks such as TBS, TNS, TruTV, CNN and BBC. If you’re unsure, you can give it a try for free for up to one week.

Watch on Hulu + Live TV

If you want a streaming service that offers much more than just live TV and sports, check out Hulu + Live TV. This combination live TV and on-demand platform offers the best all-around experience. For $76.99 a month, you’ll get over 90 live TV channels — including every Wildcard Weekend game and around a dozen other sports networks. Besides that, you also get Disney Plus and Hulu’s on-demand library, which both feature huge catalogs of award-winning shows and films. It also includes ESPN Plus, a huge bonus for fans who want tons of extra pro and collegiate sports coverage.

Like some of its competitors, a Hulu + Live TV subscription includes unlimited cloud DVR storage. It doesn’t offer RSNs in most markets, so some fans may have to look at other platforms or supplement their plan with an OTT local service like Bally Sports Plus. There’s also no Hulu + Live TV free trial, so you’ll have to spend a little to give it a test.

Watch on Sling TV

Sling TV is a big favorite for budget-conscious streamers, and it can be a good choice for Wildcard Weekend if you live in the right place or have a good over-the-air antenna. Sling Orange & Blue costs $55 a month, and if you live in the right market, it will include not only ESPN but also ABC, Fox and NBC. Alternatively, you can go with Sling Orange for ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and 29 other channels, then watch the rest of the action over the air. 

All in all, you can put together a nice sports package with Sling TV. By adding Sports Extra to Sling Orange and Blue for $15 a month, you can get a wide range of national and international coverage on not only the ESPN networks but also NFL Network, FS1, MLB Network, NHL Network, NBA TV, Big 10 Network, SEC Network and more. Unfortunately, Sling doesn’t offer RSNs or CBS, and there’s no free trial, but you may be able to get half off your first month.

Watch on YouTube TV

YouTube TV is often our top pick for those who simply want a familiar cable network lineup that covers a little bit of everything. The base plan, which starts at $72.99 a month, features more than 110 of the most popular sports, news, and entertainment channels. You’ll have every channel featuring Wildcard Weekend games, plus a lot of extra coverage of pro and collegiate sports across channels like FS1, ESPN, NFL Network, Big 10 Network, TBS, TNT and more. You may even be able to watch Wildcard Weekend for free, as YouTube offers new subscribers a free trial of up to 14 days.

Overall, this is the best pick for streamers who want a broad channel lineup at a great value.YouTube TV also includes unlimited cloud DVR storage, and you can expand your plan with numerous add-ons for more entertainment, news, sports and premium channels. The biggest downside? You won’t find any RSNs here.

Watch on Peacock

Peacock, NBC’s OTT streaming platform, carried numerous NFL games exclusively throughout the season, and Wildcard Weekend is no different. If you want to watch the AFC wildcard game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 13, Peacock is the only way to do it.

Peacock requires a subscription to watch live events and on-demand programming. Plans start at $5.99 a month, and you’ll get full access to live NFL games, Premier League soccer matches, and a large library of top on-demand shows and movies from NBC Universal. Peacock doesn’t currently offer a free trial.

Wild Card Weekend schedule 2023

Wild Card Weekend action kicks off on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 4:30 pm. ET and continues through Monday, Jan. 15. Here’s the full schedule:

• Saturday, Jan. 13 @ 4:30 p.m. Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Texans (NBC)
• Saturday, Jan. 13 @ 8:00 p.m. Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Peacock)
• Sunday, Jan. 14 @ 1:00 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills (CBS)
• Sunday, Jan. 14 @ 4:30 p.m. Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys (Fox) 
• Sunday, Jan. 14 @ 8:00 p.m. Los Angeles Rams vs. Detroit Lions (NBC)
• Monday, Jan. 15 @ 8:15 p.m. Philadelphia Eagles vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ESPN/ABC)

All of the times are Eastern. 

FAQ

How can I watch Wild Card games?

The NFL’s Wild Card Weekend will be broadcast on several major networks. You can find one game on ABC, CBS, Fox and ESPN, while NBC will broadcast two matchups. Peacock will also feature one game exclusively on Saturday, Jan. 13. You can find most of these channels on live TV streaming services, cable/satellite and over the air.

Will playoff games be free on Peacock?

No. Peacock requires a subscription to watch live sports. Plans start at $5.99 a month.

Who is favored to win in the Cowboys vs Packers game?

Currently, oddsmakers have Dallas with a 7.5-point edge over the Packers in their Wild Card Weekend matchup.