How to Watch 2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend Live Online for Free Without Cable

About 2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend

Former Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (10-7) will host the Cleveland Browns (11-6) in the first game of the weekend on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on NBC. The Texans quarterback has taken the NFL by storm in his rookie season breaking records on a nearly weekly basis. This year, the Browns have won 11 games for only the second time since 1995 and have been rejuvenated down the stretch by the elite, former Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco who joined the team in late November and has led his new squad to a 4-1 record in games he’s played in.

The second game of Wild Card Weekend would have been the most talked-about matchup even if it wasn’t going to be a history-making broadcast on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. The Miami Dolphins (11-6) will leave the warmer climate of South Florida to take on the Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) in the sub-zero temperatures of Arrowhead Stadium. While there are storylines galore both on and off the field, the fact that this will be the first NFL postseason game to ever air exclusively on a streaming service is especially notable. There is a not insignificant number of people who are decrying the greed of the league for selling out fans in this way, but at $5.99 per month, Peacock is essentially providing a pretty reasonably priced pay-per-view option for the game. To make the game more attractive and enjoyable for fans, NBCUniversal announced this week that the fourth quarter of the matchup would be broadcast commercial-free.

On Sunday, the 11-6 Buffalo Bills will host the 10-7 Pittsburgh Steelers in what are expected to be blizzard-like conditions at 1 p.m. ET. Fortunately, teams are well acquainted with playing in the cold, but there is no doubt that if snow and the winds are blowing, that could impact what Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen and Steelers’ signal-caller Mason Rudolph are able to accomplish on offense. Allen threw for the fourth-most yards in the NFL this season while Rudolph took over as the team’s starter down the stretch leading Pittsburgh to three wins to close out the season.

UPDATE: Do to potentially dangerous weather on in Buffalo on Sunday, this Wild Card matchup was postponed to 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 15.

The second game of the day will pit two of the most accomplished and historic franchises in football against each other as the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) will host the Green Bay Packers (9-8) at Jerry World in Arlington, Texas. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is a legitimate MVP candidate leading his team to its third-straight 12-5 campaign. He will try to outduel Green Bay’s Jordan Love who has thrown for the second-most touchdowns in the league this season with 32.

To wrap up Sunday’s playoff action, the 12-5 Detroit Lions will host the 10-7 Los Angeles Rams. The game will be a homecoming for longtime Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford who played in Detroit for 12 seasons before leaving for L.A. in 2021 and winning a Super Bowl. Despite his success, Stafford was never able to deliver a season to Lions fans like this one. The team’s NFC North title this year marks the first that the team has been division champions in over 30 years. They last won a division crown in 1993 when they were a part of the NFC Central.

Wild Card Weekend will come to an end when the Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) fly south to visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) on Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET. Philly is in a bit of a free fall losing five of its last six after starting the season 10-1. Former Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield leads the Bucs having successfully resurrected his career after a disappointing start in Cleveland. The two teams met early in the season with Philadelphia winning 25-11. Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back D’Andre Swift led the way for the Birds that day, to see if they will be able to do it again, you will need to watch on Monday night.

What Is the Schedule for the 2024 NFL Wild Card Weekend?

Can you watch 2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend for free?

DIRECTV STREAM offers a 5-Day Free Trial. With your free trial, you can watch ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC on DIRECTV STREAM.

You can watch 2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend with a free trial of Fubo, Hulu Live TV, or Paramount Plus.

What devices can you use to stream 2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend?

You can watch ABC, CBS, ESPN, Fox, and NBC on DIRECTV STREAM using Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.

What Streaming Service Should You Get to Watch the 2024 NFL Wild Card Weekend?

With six games spread across a variety of networks and streaming services, it can get a bit confusing for cord-cutters to figure out the best way to stream all of the football action. Of the six games this weekend, five are on broadcast networks, five are on streaming services, one is on cable, and one is exclusively on a streamer; obviously you can find some games on multiple platforms.

So, needless to say, you have options when trying to figure out the best option to stream the game. First, let’s focus on the simplest, but admittedly most expensive option. Four of the major live TV streaming services will carry all of the broadcast and cable channels that will be carrying games this weekend; however, that does not mean that they will carry every game, but more on that momentarily.

Normally, The Streamable’s expert recommendation would be DIRECTV STREAM in situations like this, because the streamer has an industry-leading five-day free trial, all major local channels, and the most top-cable networks. However, the service is currently embroiled in an ongoing retransmission dispute with local station owner TEGNA, meaning that 64 local affiliates across the country are currently blacked out.

That does not mean that there are any stations in your market that are unavailable, but it is something that you should check before signing up for DIRECTV STREAM. TEGNA is the largest owner of NBC affiliates in the country, so that is the primary channel to be concerned about. However, since Peacock has an exclusive game this weekend, if you want to be able to watch all of the games, then you were going to have to get that streamer anyway. And since all of the NFL action on NBC is also available Peacock, you should be covered.

Our next recommendation option would be for Fubo, because it does come with at least a one-day free trial, but because there is no guarantee that the free trial you receive will cover all three days of games — not to mention that Fubo is significantly more expensive than its competitors — we aren’t going to make that recommendation in this situation.

So, The Streamable’s expert recommendation, after seven years of covering the streaming sports landscape, is Hulu + Live TV. While it does not have a free trial, it does come with the best added benefits in the industry. Not only do you get the live TV service, but you also receive access to Hulu’s on-demand service as well as The Disney Bundle, meaning that you get Disney+ and ESPN+ as well.

Can You Watch the 2024 NFL Wild Card Weekend Without a Live Streaming Service?

While there are many people currently bemoaning the fragmentation of NFL broadcast rights and the fact that there is a playoff game exclusively available on Peacock, this weekend’s games are especially interesting from a streaming perspective, because five of the six are all available without cable, satellite, or a live streamer.

Since the Browns and Houston are kicking off the weekend’s action on NBC at 4:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, that game is also available on Peacock which will be the sole place to watch the Miami and Kansas City matchup at 8 p.m. So, you can watch both games on Saturday without a pay-TV service.

Then on Sunday, the Steelers and Bills get things going on CBS at 1 p.m. ET, which means that the game will also be available on Paramount+. The second game on Sunday is the Packers and Cowboys on FOX. This is the one that is only available on a traditional TV provider and where DIRECTV STREAM becomes especially helpful. Then the nightcap will be the Rams and the Lions back on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET.

The game on Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is the one with the most viewing options. Technically it will be an ESPN broadcast, but it will be simulcast on ABC and ESPN+. So, while you can watch it on an old-fashioned over-the-air signal, you can also watch via a cable, satellite, or live streaming service, or through ESPN’s sports-focused streamer.

2024 NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend Trailer