NFL Championship Round: Picks, schedule, and how to watch your favorite games

NFL Championship Round schedule

The NFL Championship Round is set to take place on Jan. 26, 2025. Here’s when and where you can watch the NFC and AFC Championships on TV or streaming networks.

NFL predictions for the Championship Round

The matchups for the NFC and AFC championships are set, and the NFL picks are in. Here’s what we expect in the NFL this week.

NFC Championship: Washington Commanders (12-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (14-3)

• Sunday, Jan. 26 @ 3 p.m. ET on Fox
• Watch live on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling (in select markets)

Our prediction: On paper, the Philadelphia Eagles are the clear favorite here. Washington hasn’t appeared in the NFC Championship since 1991, and Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are back for the second time in three years. Hurts, for his part, will be hungry to undo that 2023 loss to the 49ers. 

But… the Washington Commanders have been on a magical run this season, and they split the season series with Philadelphia. As ESPN’s analysts noted, “Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels fared well against the Eagles in 2024; he combined for 449 passing yards, a 78.2 QBR, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.” And his confidence has only grown since disposing of the heavily favored Lions last week. 

Still, Daniels and Co. face a healthier — and heavily stacked — defensive line in Philadelphia, and the Eagles are the more talented team all around. Washington will make it interesting, but Philly is our NFL prediction this week on the NFC side.

AFC Championship: Buffalo Bills (13-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (15-2)

• Sunday, Jan. 26 @ 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount Plus
• Watch live on Paramount Plus, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV

Our prediction: With no shortage of animosity between these two teams (and their fanbases), this matchup is bound to be entertaining. The Buffalo Bills were the only team to beat Kansas City’s starting lineup this season, picking off Patrick Mahomes and sacking him twice each in that showdown in New York. 

Josh Allen will put everything he has into finally showing up his rival, and he has been the better QB this season (check out his 77.3 QBR vs. Mahomes’ 67.7, as ESPN points out). That was the regular season, though, and we all know Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs take it to another level in January. 

It’s going to be a tight one, but we’re sticking with the defending champs for our NFL prediction this week on the AFC side. Andy Reid and Co. will compete for their third straight title in New Orleans.

How to watch NFL Championship Round games today

NFL games have aired on several major networks and streaming platforms throughout the 2024/25 season. However, it’s down to just three options for the Championship Round. The NFC Championship will air on Fox, while the AFC Championship will air on CBS and stream on Paramount Plus.

See the table below to find out where to watch the NFL Championship Round on every major streaming platform:

Watch on DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM is one of the easiest ways to watch most NFL games throughout the regular season. Even with its basic Entertainment plan, you’ll have access to all the major broadcast networks showing NFL contests. With DIRECTV STREAM you’ll also get unlimited cloud DVR storage to record any games you have to miss — and unlimited simultaneous streams at home so you can queue up different matches on each device every Sunday.

If you want even more live sports, we recommend the Choice plan. Upgrading to this plan adds a huge selection of sports channels to your package, including regional sports networks (RSNs) like Bally Sports or NBC Sports. In addition to the channels in the Entertainment plan, you’ll also get big names like NFL Network (which starts showing games in Week 5), Fox Sports 1 (FS1), ACCN, Big Ten Network, NBA TV, NFL Network and SEC Network.

Watch on Fubo

There’s no denying that Fubo offers the best overall value for sports fans. Its Pro plan features more than 30 sports networks, including RSNs. You’ll find all the major NFL action on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN/ESPN2, plus more games later in the season on NFL Network and lots of college and pro sports on Big Ten Network, ACCN, SEC Network, FS1, beIN SPORTS and more.

All plans also include unlimited Cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams at home — more than enough for NFL households to keep up with all the action live or later on. Plus, plans include 3 streams outside the home. There are several add-on options to expand your sports coverage even further. The only big downside is that Fubo leaves out a few major channels like TBS, TNT, BBC and CNN.

Watch on Hulu + Live TV

Hulu + Live TV may actually be the best overall option for NFL fans in 2024. Its lineup of over 95 channels includes ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network, along with full access to ESPN Plus for any games and NFL shows that stream on ESPN’s over-the-top (OTT) platform. That’s not to mention other sports on channels like FS1, ACCN, SEC Network, CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel and more. You’ll get access to every game not featured on Peacock or Amazon Prime this season.

But ether’s more: Hulu + Live TV also includes full access to the Hulu and Disney Plus on-demand libraries, both of which feature tons of award-winning entertainment to binge when you’re not watching NFL games. Hulu + Live TV also comes with unlimited cloud DVR storage, though its two-stream limit is a little disappointing. The platform’s only real downside is its lack of RSNs in most markets.

Watch on Sling TV

Sling TV isn’t quite as strong on NFL content as its competitors, but it may work well for viewers in some markets — and it’s easy on the wallet. A Sling Orange plan gets you ESPN and ESPN2, which may be enough if you just want Monday Night Football. If that’s not enough, it gets tricky. Upgrading to Sling Orange & Blue will get you NFL Network, and you may also get ABC, Fox and NBC, depending on your market. Unfortunately, CBS isn’t available on Sling at all, and that leaves out most AFC contests.

All Sling TV plans include 50 hours of cloud DVR, and you can upgrade to 200 hours for $5 per month. There’s also plenty of extra sports coverage available with the Sports Extra add-on. This gets you loads of extra pro and college sports on channels like ACCN, SEC Network, ESPNU, Big Ten Network, NBA TV and NHL Network, depending on which base plan you have. Sling doesn’t offer any RSNs.

Watch on YouTube TV

YouTube TV is another excellent choice for NFL fans — perhaps even one of the best options. The base plan includes ABC, Fox, NBC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network, so you’re covered for most major games showing in your market. If you want to go further, you can even add NFL Sunday Ticket to your plan for every out-of-market game. YouTube TV subscribers can add Sunday Ticket to their plan with a discounted price.

All plans come with unlimited cloud DVR and up to three simultaneous streams, so you can keep up with plenty of games live or later on. Plus. YouTube TV has an excellent selection of other sports on channels like ESPNEWS, FS1, ACCN, Big Ten Network, NBA TV and SEC Network. Unfortunately, it falls short on RSNs, but its overall lineup is ideal for fans who also want a broad selection of news and entertainment on top of their sports programming.

Watch on ESPN Plus

As ESPN’s OTT streaming platform, ESPN Plus also gets in on the NFL action this season. Select Monday Night Football games, including the Week 1 contest, will stream simultaneously here, so you can watch those here even if you don’t have ESPN or ESPN2.

ESPN Plus also includes a huge selection of NFL analysis programs and football documentaries, making it an excellent choice for fans who want to dig deeper. It’s also home to exclusive Big 12 games, other college football, out-of-market NHL games, MLB contests, UFC Fighting, European soccer and more. You can get it for free with Hulu + Live TV or as a stand-alone subscription.

Watch on Peacock

Just looking for Sunday Night Football? We have exciting news for you. Peacock will stream every Sunday Night Football game concurrently with NBC, so you can watch from anywhere even if you don’t have access to the main channel via streaming, cable or antenna. NBC’s OTT platform will also have exclusive rights to the Week 1 NFL Schedule highlight of Green Bay vs. Philadelphia in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Peacock is home to a plethora of other live sports, including the Olympics and Paralympics, Premier League soccer, Big 10 Football, WWE wrestling, golf and more. And you’ll get tons of top entertainment from new and classic NBC Universal shows like “Bel Air,” “Modern Family” and “The Office.”

Watch on Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus is a great way to watch CBS’s featured NFL games during the 2024 season. Even the basic Essential plan, any games on your local CBS station will also stream on Paramount Plus, offering an easy way to watch on the go (or catch multiple games at once). 

This over-the-top streamer is worth a closer look for sports fans in general, too. Besides NFL games, you can stream UEFA Champions League and NWSL soccer, PGA Tour golf, Big 10 football and more. Plans start at $8 per month.

FAQ

What time are the NFC and AFC championship games?

The NFC championship game starts at 3:00 p.m. ET with the Washington Commanders playing at the Philadelphia Eagles on Fox. You can watch this matchup live on DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and Sling (in select markets). Then, at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and Paramount Plus, you can watch the AFC championship with the Buffalo Bills at the Kansas City Chiefs. Stream it live on Paramount Plus, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.

How long is the current NFL season?

The 2024 NFL regular season schedule lasts from Sept. 5, 2024, through Jan. 5, 2025, for a total run of 18 weeks (and 17 games per team). The playoffs run from Jan. 8 through Super Bowl Sunday — Feb. 9, 2025.

Who is airing Sunday Night Football?

NBC has exclusive rights to Sunday Night Football for the 2024 season. That means the big Sunday night match will air on NBC and stream on Peacock.