The 2026 NFL Playoffs start on January 10 with Wild Card Weekend. The postseason ends with Super Bowl LX on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Fourteen teams will compete for the Vince Lombardi Trophy across four rounds of single-elimination games.
The Pittsburgh Steelers secured the final playoff spot with a thrilling 26-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, completing the 14-team postseason field. Six teams that missed the 2024 playoffs have returned including the Seahawks, 49ers, Panthers, Bears, Patriots and Jaguars.
What Time is the NFL Playoffs 2026?
NFL playoff games air at different times throughout the postseason. The league schedules games to maximize viewership across all U.S. time zones. Wild Card Weekend features the most games with six matchups spread over three days.
Saturday Wild Card games start at 4:30 PM ET and 8:00 PM ET. Sunday games begin at 1:00 PM ET, 4:30 PM ET and 8:00 PM ET. The Monday night Wild Card game kicks off at 8:00 PM ET.
Divisional Round games air on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday games start at 4:30 PM ET and 8:00 PM ET. Sunday matchups begin at 3:00 PM ET and 6:30 PM ET.
Conference Championship games both take place on Sunday. The AFC Championship kicks off at 3:00 PM ET while the NFC Championship starts at 6:30 PM ET.
Super Bowl LX has a 6:30 PM ET kickoff on Sunday, February 8, 2026. This allows fans across the country to watch the game during primetime hours.
NFL Playoffs 2026: All U.S. Time Zones
| Game Type | Eastern (ET) | Central (CT) | Mountain (MT) | Pacific (PT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card Sat (Early) | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
| Wild Card Sat (Late) | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Wild Card Sun (Early) | 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM | 11:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| Wild Card Sun (Afternoon) | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
| Wild Card Sun (Night) | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Wild Card Monday | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Divisional Sat (Early) | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM | 2:30 PM | 1:30 PM |
| Divisional Sat (Late) | 8:00 PM | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Divisional Sun (Early) | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| Divisional Sun (Late) | 6:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM |
| AFC Championship | 3:00 PM | 2:00 PM | 1:00 PM | 12:00 PM |
| NFC Championship | 6:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM |
| Super Bowl LX | 6:30 PM | 5:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 3:30 PM |
West Coast fans can watch most playoff games during afternoon and evening hours. East Coast viewers get primetime coverage for night games. The Super Bowl kicks off at 3:30 PM PT to accommodate viewers across all time zones.
2026 NFL Playoffs Full Schedule
NFL Wild Card Games (January 10-12, 2026)
Wild Card Weekend features six games over three days. The #2 seed hosts the #7 seed while #3 plays #6 and #4 takes on #5 in each conference.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV Channel | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Jan 10 | (5) Rams at (4) Panthers | 4:30 PM | Fox | Fubo |
| Saturday, Jan 10 | (7) Packers at (2) Bears | 8:00 PM | Amazon Prime | Prime Video |
| Sunday, Jan 11 | (6) Bills at (3) Jaguars | 1:00 PM | CBS | Paramount+ |
| Sunday, Jan 11 | (6) 49ers at (3) Eagles | 4:30 PM | Fox | Fubo |
| Sunday, Jan 11 | (7) Chargers at (2) Patriots | 8:00 PM | NBC | Peacock |
| Monday, Jan 12 | (5) Texans at (4) Steelers | 8:00 PM | ESPN/ABC | ESPN+ |
NFL Divisional Games (January 17-18, 2026)
The #1 seeds enter the playoffs during the Divisional Round. The highest seed plays the lowest remaining seed. The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks will host divisional games after earning first-round byes.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV Channel | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Jan 17 | TBA at TBA | 4:30 PM | TBA | TBA |
| Saturday, Jan 17 | TBA at TBA | 8:00 PM | TBA | TBA |
| Sunday, Jan 18 | TBA at TBA | 3:00 PM | TBA | TBA |
| Sunday, Jan 18 | TBA at TBA | 6:30 PM | TBA | TBA |
Note: The winner of the Monday night Wild Card game will play on Sunday in the divisional round.
NFL Conference Championship (January 25, 2026)
| Conference | Matchup | Time (ET) | TV Channel | Streaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC Championship | AFC at AFC | 3:00 PM | CBS | Paramount+ |
| NFC Championship | NFC at NFC | 6:30 PM | Fox | Fubo |
Super Bowl LX (February 8, 2026)
| Date | Sunday, February 8, 2026 |
| Kickoff Time | 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT |
| Location | Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California |
| TV Channel | NBC |
| Streaming | Peacock |
| Halftime Show | Bad Bunny |
Bad Bunny becomes the first Latin male artist to headline a Super Bowl halftime show. Levi’s Stadium previously hosted Super Bowl 50 in 2016 when the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers.
2026 NFL Playoffs TV Channels & Broadcast Rights
CBS broadcasts one Wild Card game, divisional games, and the AFC Championship. All CBS games stream on Paramount+.
NBC airs Super Bowl LX plus select Wild Card and Divisional games. You can stream NBC games on Peacock.
Fox covers NFC playoff games including Wild Card, Divisional and the NFC Championship.
ESPN and ABC simulcast one Wild Card game on Monday night. This game streams on ESPN+.
Prime Video streams one exclusive Wild Card game for Amazon Prime members on Saturday night.
How to Live Stream NFL Playoffs 2026
You can watch every playoff game without cable through these streaming services:
- Paramount+ streams all CBS games for $7.99 per month
- Peacock shows NBC games and Super Bowl LX for $7.99 per month
- Prime Video includes one Wild Card game with your Prime membership
- YouTube TV ($72.99/month) carries all playoff channels
- Hulu + Live TV ($76.99/month) includes CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC and ESPN
- FuboTV ($79.99/month) offers all major networks
- NFL+ provides mobile streaming for $6.99 per month
You can also watch games free with an over-the-air antenna. CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC broadcast games that an antenna can pick up at no cost.
Final 2026 NFL Playoff Teams & Standings
The 14-team playoff field is now set after the conclusion of Week 18 on January 5, 2026.
AFC Playoff Teams:
| Seed | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Broncos | 14-3 | First-round BYE, home-field advantage |
| 2 | New England Patriots | 14-3 | |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 13-4 | |
| 4 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 9-7 | AFC North Champions |
| 5 | Houston Texans | 12-5 | |
| 6 | Buffalo Bills | 12-5 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles Chargers | 11-6 |
Key Storyline: The Pittsburgh Steelers clinched the AFC North title and final playoff spot with a dramatic 26-24 victory over Baltimore after the Ravens missed a field goal on the final play. Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers quarterback, has more career playoff wins than every other AFC playoff quarterback combined.
NFC Playoff Teams:
| Seed | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle Seahawks | 14-3 | First-round BYE, home-field advantage |
| 2 | Chicago Bears | 11-6 | |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | 11-6 | Defending Super Bowl Champions |
| 4 | Carolina Panthers | 8-9 | NFC South Champions |
| 5 | Los Angeles Rams | 12-5 | |
| 6 | San Francisco 49ers | 12-5 | |
| 7 | Green Bay Packers | 9-7-1 |
Key Storyline: The Carolina Panthers won the NFC South and are in the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Philadelphia Eagles are looking to become the first NFC team in 31 years to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Six teams that missed the 2024 playoffs have returned to postseason action.
Notable Playoff Storylines for 2026
No Patrick Mahomes or Chiefs: For the first time in years, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs missed the playoffs, marking a historic shift in the AFC landscape.
Defending Champions Return: The Philadelphia Eagles enter as the defending Super Bowl champions with Jalen Hurts leading the charge. They’re seeking to become the first NFC team since the Dallas Cowboys (1992-1993) to repeat as champions.
Historic Turnarounds: Six teams that missed the 2024 playoffs have returned, with several posting remarkable season turnarounds after losing 11+ games the previous year.
Carolina’s Long Drought Ends: The Panthers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2017, winning the NFC South despite an 8-9 record.
Veteran QB Experience: Aaron Rodgers (Steelers), Matthew Stafford (Rams), and Jalen Hurts (Eagles) are the only quarterbacks in this playoff field with Super Bowl wins.
How the NFL Playoff Format Works
Fourteen teams make the playoffs with seven from each conference. Each conference sends four division winners and three Wild Card teams.
The #1 seed in each conference gets a first-round bye. This team skips Wild Card Weekend and goes straight to the Divisional Round.
All playoff games use single elimination. One loss ends your season. The higher seed hosts every game except the Super Bowl.
Playoff games go to overtime when tied at the end of regulation. Both teams get at least one possession unless the first team scores a touchdown. Games continue until someone wins.
2026 NFL Playoffs FAQs
When do the 2026 NFL Playoffs start?
The playoffs begin Saturday, January 10, 2026 with Wild Card Weekend.
Where is Super Bowl LX being played?
Super Bowl LX takes place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
What channels show NFL playoff games?
CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, ESPN and Prime Video broadcast playoff games.
Can I stream playoffs without cable?
Yes. Use Paramount+, Peacock, ESPN+ or Prime Video. You can also try YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or FuboTV.
How many teams make the playoffs?
Fourteen teams qualify with seven from the AFC and seven from the NFC.
What is a playoff bye week?
The #1 seed in each conference skips Wild Card Weekend and advances straight to the Divisional Round.
Who are the favorites to win Super Bowl LX?
The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos enter as the top seeds with first-round byes and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Which teams are playing in the first playoff game?
The Los Angeles Rams visit the Carolina Panthers at 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, January 10 on Fox to kick off Wild Card Weekend.
The 2026 NFL Playoffs kick off January 10 with six Wild Card games. Super Bowl LX happens February 8 at Levi’s Stadium with NBC broadcasting the game. You can watch on CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, ESPN and Prime Video.
Streaming options include Paramount+, Peacock and other services. The playoff field is now complete with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos earning first-round byes as the top seeds in each conference. Wild Card Weekend promises exciting matchups including the defending champion Eagles hosting the 49ers and Aaron Rodgers leading the Steelers against the Texans.
