How to watch NBC Wild Card playoff games

NBC is the home for Sunday Night Football, but as we head into the NFL playoffs will be the home of two Wild Card playoff games, one on Saturday, January 13, and the other on Sunday, January 14.

Here is everything that you need for Sunday Night Football, including the schedule of games being played in primetime this season.

How to watch Sunday Night Football

NBC is widely available to viewers across the US via their local NBC stations. If you subscribe to traditional cable, catching the game is simple, as NBC is included on all basic cable packages. You can also watch the games on the NBC Sports app or at NBCSports.com when you provide your TV provider login.

NBC is also available on live TV streaming services like Fubo TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV. Each of these offers a mix of channel packages and services. We think Sling TV offers the best value for Sunday Night Football fans. You can watch Sunday Night Football on Sling TV Blue, which goes for $35 per month.

Streaming of the game is available through Peacock, which live-streams NBC's Sunday Night Football game every week (or in this case the network's playoff broadcasts). You'll need a Peacock Premium account to stream Sunday Night Football — either the ad-supported or ad-free version.

As a nationally televised game, Sunday Night Football is also going to be available to live stream on NFL Plus, but only through a mobile device.

NFL fans in the UK have the opportunity to watch Sunday Night Football games and other NBC NFL broadcasts via Sky Sports' NFL Channel, which is available through a Sky TV subscription.

If that's too late (or early) for you, NFL Game Pass is an option. The international version of this subscription service offers live broadcasts of games as well as the opportunity to watch the full broadcast on-demand or a condensed version of the broadcast that only features the plays.

If NFL fans find themselves halfway around the world but eager to tune in to Sunday Night Football on their usual service, they can consider using a VPN.

We rate ExpressVPN as a reliable VPN service for securing your data and accessing shows and events all around the world. Even better, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day no-quibble, money-back guarantee if you're not happy with the service.

NFL Wild Card game: Browns vs Texans

The first NFL playoff game to be played on Wild Card weekend is the matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Houston Texans on Saturday, January 13, at 4:30 pm ET/1:30 pm PT.

Cleveland has had one of the top defenses in the NFL all season long, led by sack master Myles Garrett, who had 14 on the season. But after they played quarterback carousel for a bit in the middle of the season after Deshaun Watson was injured, they found stability in former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco, who in five games threw for 1,616 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Can Flacco keep the spark going and help take the Browns on a deep playoff run?

To do so they'll have to beat rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who has helped get the Texans ahead of schedule and into the playoffs in year one. Stroud threw for more than 4,100 yards and had 23 touchdown passes to just five interceptions, practically assuring that he will win Offensive Rookie of the Year. But the Texans defense has also shown real improvement throughout the season, with head coach DeMeco Ryans helping to be an above average unit a year after being one of the worst in the league.

NFL Wild Card game: Rams vs Lions

Airing in the traditional Sunday Night Football spot on Sunday, January 14, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT is the Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions.

The Rams return the playoffs for the first time since they won the Super Bowl, hoping to go on another run now that Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are healthy again. They also have another new star receiver in rookie Puka Nacua, giving the Rams a dangerous passing attack.

The Lions similarly are strong offensively, with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta handling the passing game and David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs a capable one-two punch in the rushing game.

The Rams and Lions defense are pretty similar as far as the statistics go, middle of the packs in both yards allowed per game and points per game and even tied in the number of sacks they registered this season. If one unit has the edge, the Lions have been better at forcing turnovers, though the Detroit offense has also given up the ball more than the Rams' unit has.

One fun storyline of this game as Stafford and Goff were traded for each other a few years ago and now they get to play against their old teams when everything is one the line.

Sunday Night Football schedule

Here is the schedule for Sunday Night Football's 2023 slate of games. Unless otherwise noted, all games start at 8:20 pm ET/5:20 pm PT.

• Week 1: Dallas Cowboys 40, New York Giants 0

• Week 2: Miami Dolphins 24, New England Patriots 17

• Week 3: Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Las Vegas Raiders 18

• Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs 23, New York Jets 20

• Week 5: Dallas Cowboys 10, San Francisco 49ers 42

• Week 6: New York Giants 9, Buffalo Bills 14

• Week 7: Miami Dolphins 17, Philadelphia Eagles 31

• Week 8: Chicago Bears 13, Los Angeles Chargers 30

• Week 9: Buffalo Bills 18, Cincinnati Bengals 24

• Week 10: New York Jets 12, Las Vegas Raiders 16

• Week 11: Minnesota Vikings 20, Denver Broncos 21

• Week 12: Baltimore Ravens 20, Los Angeles Chargers 10

• Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs 19, Green Bay Packers 27

• Week 14: Philadelphia Eagles 13, Dallas Cowboys 33

• Week 15: Baltimore Ravens 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 7

• Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers

• Week 17: Green Bay Packers vs Minnesota Vikings

• Week 18: TBD

Some of these games could be fluid, as the NFL allows flex scheduling for Sunday Night Football to try and ensue good games are airing in primetime. Between weeks 5-10, up to two games can be flexed, while from weeks 11-17 it can be done for any game at the NFL's discretion.

Sunday Night Football commentators

The lead voice in the Sunday Night Football booth is Mike Tirico, joined by Cris Collinsworth in the booth. Melissa Stark rounds out the crew as the sideline reporter.

NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage also consists of the Football Night in America pregame show, which features Maria Taylor as host and Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms and Mike Florio as commentators.

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