How to watch today's AFC and NFC Championship games for free even if you don't have cable
Many NFL fans have already cut the cord with their cable company in favor of lowering monthly bills and ridding their home of that ugly cable box. But since some streaming services carry certain NFL games, but not others, figuring out how to get access to every NFL game without paying an arm and a leg can be time consuming, confusing and downright frustrating.
Today's NFL Championship Weekend schedule features two can't miss games from four teams all vying for a trip to Super Bowl LVIII. Despite airing on two different networks, you can still watch both games this weekend, even if you don't have cable. The best part? You can watch for free. Really.
Note: CBS Essentials and Paramount+ are both subsidiaries of Paramount.
What teams are scheduled to play today?
As of Sunday morning, there were four teams left in contention for this year's Super Bowl. On Monday morning, only two teams will remain. Here are the teams playing this weekend.
- AFC Championship Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens, 3:00 p.m. ET on CBS
- NFC Championship Game: Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers, 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox
How to stream today's NFL Championship games for free
This weekend's playoff games will air on CBS and Fox. Most cable subscriptions include these network channels, but if your cable subscription doesn't, or you've cut the cord with your cable company, you can still stream the Chiefs vs. Ravens game and Lions vs. 49ers game online. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)
Stream the Chiefs vs. Ravens game for free on Paramount+
If you don't have a cable TV package that includes CBS, you can stream the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens game through a subscription to Paramount+. Because Paramount+ offers a one-week free trial, you can sign up now enjoy today's game for free.
Not only can you watch the 2024 AFC Championship Game and the 2024 Super Bowl with a Paramount+ subscription, the streamer also offers access to top-tier soccer like the Champions League live and SEC college football games as well. And, of course, you also get on-demand access to popular shows such as "Survivor" and "NCIS."
A subscription to Paramount + is $5.99 per month. Bundle Paramount+ and Showtime for just $11.99 per month. Live NFL games are available to stream on all Paramount+ tiers.
Get Paramount+ as part of Walmart+ and watch NFL football
The Walmart+ shopping subscription service includes access to the Paramount+ Essentials tier, a $60 per year value. Walmart+ subscribers also get discounts on gasoline at Mobil and Exxon stations, access to special members-only deals, same-day home delivery from your local store and more.
Walmart+ costs $98 per year. Tap the button below to learn all the benefits of Walmart+, and to start your 30-day free trial.
Why we like Walmart+:
- Walmart+ members get access to CBS-aired NFL games through the Paramount+ streaming service, including the 2024 Super Bowl.
- You can get groceries delivered to your home quickly -- sometimes same day -- without paying Instacart-like markups.
- Walmart+ members get early access to Walmart's deals during Black Friday and members-only sale events.
- You can make returns from home -- Walmart will pick them up for you. (Restrictions apply; must be present for pickup.)
Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games free with FuboTV
New subscribers can catch the AFC Championship Game and NFC Championship game for free on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via "NFL on Fox", NBC (Sunday Night Football), ESPN (Monday Night Football), NFL Network and more, so you'll be able to watch more than just today's games, all without a cable subscription.
To watch today's games without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to the NFL playoffs, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. FuboTV Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
- There are no contracts with FuboTV -- you can cancel at any time.
- The Pro tier includes 169 channels, including NFL Network. (You'll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
- FuboTV includes all the channels you'll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
- All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
- Stream on your TV, phone, and other devices.
Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games on Hulu + Live TV
You can also watch the AFC and NFC Championship games with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both CBS and Fox. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game this weekend (except for the Dolphins vs. Chiefs game) airing on every network with Hulu + Live TV. Nest season, you'll be able to catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month.
Stream the Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers game on Sling TV for half price
If you don't have cable TV that includes Fox, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream the Lions vs. Niners game is through a subscription to Sling TV. The streamer offers access to the NFL Network, local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available) and ESPN with its Orange + Blue Tier plan. Also worth noting: Sling TV comes with 50 hours of cloud-based DVR recording space included, perfect for recording all the season's top NFL matchups.
Note that Sling TV does not include CBS, so you won't be able to watch CBS-aired games, including today's Chiefs vs. Ravens game, via the streaming service.
That plan normally costs $60 per month, but the streamer is currently offering a 50% off promotion for your first month, so you'll pay just $30. You can learn more by tapping the button below.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
- There are 46 channels to watch in total, including local NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
- You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
- All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games live with a digital HDTV antenna
If you cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch the NFL on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDYC channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here's the kicker: Unlike with cable TV, there's no monthly charge.
Those who live in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or in first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal -- or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna is an inexpensive way to watch live sports without paying a monthly fee to a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable or satellite dish.
This amplified digital antenna can receive hundreds of HD TV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision. And it can filter out cellular and FM signals. It receives signals in 360 degrees and delivers a high-quality picture in 4K, UHD and 1080 HDTV. A 16-foot digital coax cable is included. This bestselling Amazon antenna is regularly priced around $23, but we've seen it for sale as low as $15.
Watch the AFC and NFC Championship games on your phone with NFL+
If you want to catch the AFC and NFC Championship games on your phone or tablet, check out NFL+. The premium streaming service is $7 per month, but NFL+ is currently offering annual subscriptions at 60% off the regular rate. You'll pay just $20 for a yearly subscription.
NFL+ offers access to the NFL Network. And yes, that includes games being broadcast out-of-market. To boost your NFL experience even further, you can upgrade to NFL+ Premium with NFL RedZone ($15 per month; $40 per year) and watch up to eight NFL games simultaneously. You can also rewatch previously aired games with NFL+ Premium. A seven-day, free trial is available.
Top features of NFL+:
- You get access to all NFL preseason games, including those that are out of market.
- NFL+ lets you watch stream local and primetime regular season games on your phone or tablet, but not your TV.
- Includes the NFL Network (and NFL RedZone with NFL+ Premium), so it's a good option for those who are looking to stream football on the go.
Waiting for the games to start? Check out Amazon's new NFL fan shop
If you're waiting for today's games to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon's new NFL fan shop. The Amazon NFL fan shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You'll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more. There are plenty of deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching football.
Tap the button below to head directly to the NFL fan shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.
What to know about the 2024 NFL conference championships
Expect two stellar games of Sunday football starting with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens AFC Championship Game on CBS. It will be followed by the Detroit Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Game on Fox.
The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs hope to win back-to-back Super Bowl victories, but they'll have to get past Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens this weekend first. The last football franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowl championships was the New England Patriots, who won the Super Bowl in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
This is the Chiefs sixth straight year appearing in the AFC Championship Game. Sunday's game will be the first-ever AFC Championship Game played at M&T Bank Stadium.
Later on Sunday, the Detroit Lions face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Sunday's game marks the Lions' first appearance in the NFC Championships since 1992. Levi's Stadium will play host to Sunday's showdown.
