Last year's landmark 100th NFL season lived up to all expectations and then some. While the 2020/21 campaign got off to an unusual start in so many respects, we've since rumbled like vintage Jerome Bettis right down to the final two games of the playoffs and the penultimate stage of another scintillating season. Read on for all the latest information and ways to watch an NFL live stream for the AFC and NFC Championship playoff game this weekend, no matter where you are in the world right now.
Despite all the postponements, depleted rosters, and largely empty stadiums, no one can deny that the NFL has been back with a bang on the field. We've been treated to all the gravity-defying touchdown catches, bone-crunching hits, and ice-cold Bill Belichick stares that America's game is famous for - and with the playoffs having now whittled things down to just the four best teams in the league, this Sunday features two absolutely unmissable clashes.
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NFL live stream 2020/21
The new NFL season kicked off back in September, with the regular season concluding on January 3, 2021. Now it's three rounds of playoff action and then the biggest game in world sports: the Super Bowl! Super Bowl LV or Super Bowl 55 takes place Sunday, February 7 this year - full NFL live streaming and TV details are below. However you choose to watch, you can enjoy your preferred coverage from anywhere by adding a good VPN to your software roster.
Reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs and star QB Pat Mahomes ended the regular season with an AFC-best 14-2 record and are favorites to repeat this February. Having earned a first round bye, they survived a concussion to Mahomes and late Browns comeback to advance to the AFC Championship game for the third straight year.
The most imminent threat to the Chiefs establishing a early-stage dynasty comes in the form of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bill, who lit up the league to close out the regular season and catapult themselves to the AFC No. 2 seed with a 13-3 record and AFC East title. In the playoffs, they've bested both Philip Rivers' Colts and Lamar Jackson's Ravens to put them in the franchise's first AFC Championship since a period of early 90s dominance.
Over in the NFC, Aaron Rodgers and the always formidable Green Bay Packers have cruised to their conference championship game with big wins over the Bears and Rams. Now, though, they face a much a sterner challenge: a Tampa Bay Bucs team fighting to play the Super Bowl on home turf that's led by the most successful quarterback in NFL playoff history, six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.
We're every bit as excited as you to see how things pan out over the coming weeks. Follow our guide below as we explain how to watch NFL online and live stream NFL playoff football for the AFC and NFC Championship games - and the rest of this action-packed 2020/21 season.
- Related: look ahead to a Super Bowl live stream
How to watch the NFL from outside your country
If you've mismatched a holiday or you're away on business and you want to watch your country's coverage from outside your country, then you'll need to use a VPN. This will help you dial in to a location back in your home country to avoid geo-blocks and regain access to the content and services you already pay for back home.
A VPN is generally perfect for this as it allows you to change your IP address so you appear to be in a completely different location when the big game is on. We’ve tested hundreds of VPNs and can recommend ExpressVPN as the very best VPN currently available.
ExpressVPN - get the world's best VPN
We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate ExpressVPN as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features.
It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.
Sign up for an annual plan now and get an extra 3 months absolutely FREE. And if you change your mind within the first 30 days, let them know and they'll give you your money back without a quibble.
Once you've chosen and installed your VPN of choice, simply open the service's corresponding app, hit 'choose location', select the appropriate country and you'll be able to watch the broadcast as if you were back at home.
NFL live stream: How to watch every 2020/21 playoff game online in the US
NFL games in the US are shown by a wide range of broadcasters and under an increasingly confusing number of monikers.
Featured games are those aired Thursday. Sunday and Monday nights as part of the expanded Monday Night Football brand and are shown on TV by NBC, Fox, ESPN and in a very small number of cases, the NFL Network.
In the case of the AFC and NFC Championship games, though, you need just two channels - Fox and CBS - which means that there's a clear standout streaming service for those who want to watch the NFL playoffs without cable.
The best way to watch NFL games without cable this Sunday
For complete coverage of all nationally televised NFL games in the 2020/21 regular season without cable, you needed access to Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and The NFL Network.
Of the many over-the-top streaming options, some will give you nearly all of the channels you need for complete coverage - but to our knowledge, only fuboTV currently offers them all.
This is especially important for the AFC and NFC Championship games, as Fubo is one of the few OTT services to include CBS. Pricing starts from $64.99 a month, which is pricier than some of the competition, but still a darn sight cheaper than cable. There's also a FREE 7-day fuboTV trial you can take advantage of, meaning you could watch the games for free, if that's what you choose.
One of the things we love about fuboTV is that it makes cancelling easy if you decide it's not for you - and it's easy to get started, too, thanks to a slick payment system that accepts internationally recognized payment platform PayPal as well as major credit and debit cards.
Now, read on to learn about our favorite cheap NFL streaming option - and what channels cover what games each week. However, note that as the regular season is now over, much of the information below won't be fully relevant again until next season.
International viewers: scroll down for your fully up-to-date NFL playoff live stream options.
The cheapest way to live stream NFL games without cable
While it doesn't offer every channel you need for complete NFL coverage, Sling TV is an affordable over-the-top provider whose Blue and Orange packages cost just $30 a month each.
Sling Blue is the obvious starting point for NFL fans, as it offers local Fox and NBC/NBC Sports channels in most major markets, as well as NFL Network. An extra $15 a month will get you Sling Orange and add ESPN 1, 2 and 3 to your NFL viewing arsenal - as well as getting you a handful of other top premium channels like TNT, AMC, TBS, BBC America and more.
So just $45 a month for the combined Sling Blue + Orange bundle covers off a large number of NFL games, including both primetime and local broadcasts, making this a great option for many NFL fans.
How to watch Thursday Night Football
Fox and the NFL Network have the TV rights to Thursday Night football.
This means you can stream games through the Fox or NFL Network if you've got cable - or take advantage of the fact that Amazon Prime has now joined the NFL streaming party and will be the exclusive streaming-only provider of Thursday Night Football games. Try the famous FREE 30-day Prime trial today.
How to watch Sunday afternoon NFL games
CBS and Fox are the broadcasters you need for the traditional 1pm and 4pm (ET) kick-offs every Sunday, and while the exact games and timings will vary by region, those with the channels as part of cable will be able to watch their local coverage online via the CBS and Fox websites.
If you just want CBS, then know that CBS All Access is also available on a streaming-only basis from just $5.99 a month to consider - try it for free today.
How to watch Sunday Night Football
Sunday Night Football is being aired exclusively by NBC throughout the regular season, so if you have it as part of a cable package, you'll be able to stream games directly through the NBC website.
How to watch Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football can be found on ESPN every week, so anyone with the channel as part of their cable package can watch online at no additional charge through the ESPN website - just log-in with details of your TV provider.
We have also compiled for you below a full list of other TV streaming service options where you can live stream the NFL playoffs.
How to watch NFL games from abroad
Don't forget, you can take your favorite NFL streaming coverage with you wherever you are with the help of a good VPN - try the best around, ExpressVPN 100% risk-free for 30-days.
2021 NFL Conference Championship schedule
SUNDAY, JANUARY 24
3.05pm ET / 12.05pm PT
Buccaneers vs Packers
6.40pm ET / 3.40pm PT
Bills vs Chiefs
How to watch a NFL live stream FREE in Canada
Canadian NFL fans are some of the the luckiest in the world as streaming service DAZN includes coverage of every single 2020/21 regular season game with its great value DAZN packages.
It's an absolute bargain as just CA$20 a month or $150 a year, especially when you consider that you get not only NFL Game Pass access complete with RedZone, but also that DAZN's the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Premier League and Champions League soccer!
It comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices). And if you've never used it before, you can try it for free by taking advantage of a FREE 1-month trial, too.
TV coverage of select games including all the Wild Card playoff action is also available by tuning into, CTV on linear TV.
Don't forget, you can take your preferred NFL coverage with you no matter where you are in or out of the Great White North - just grab hold of an effective VPN and follow our instructions above.
NFL live stream UK: how to watch American football online
UK-based American fans can watch up to six NFL games live and in their entirety each week courtesy of Sky Sports, with the network now boasting a new dedicated Sky Sports NFL channel as well as offering access to the live RedZone highlights show each Sunday.
Needless to say, Sky has both the AFC and NFC Championship games covered this weekend, with kick-off times set for 8.05pm and 11.40pm GMT this Sunday.
If you don't already have Sky and aren't up for subscribing, then you also have the option of subscribing for a Now TV Sky Sports Pass.
But for those without Sky, the heavily discounted NFL Game Pass Pro is the best option for most fans and currently down to just £20 for access through July 2021 - which means you'll get the rest of the playoffs, the Pro Bowl, the Super Bowl AND the 2021 NFL Draft.
There's also amazing news for the real NFL-obsessed who are prepared to stay up for Monday Night Football way past midnight in the UK. Channel 5 is showing every MNF game for FREE! That's on TV, online, and via its apps.
Not in the UK but still want to catch the action on your Sky Go app or on Game Pass? Then grabbing a VPN will let you log into a UK IP address so you can live stream NFL as if you were at home.
How to watch the NFL online in Australia
If you live in Australia and want to watch the NFL this season, you have several options to do so - and are in fact some of the luckiest fans in the world.
For starters, 100% FREE-TO-AIR channel 7Mate will be showing both the AFC and NFC Championship games according to Aussie TV listings - so that's obviously a great option for fans Down Under.
Even better, anyone located in Australia can watch the channel absolutely free online - you just need to quickly create an account on its companion 7Plus streaming service - all that's required is a name, verifiable email address, and Australia zip code.
It's not the most elegant platform we've ever seen, but if you head there and click the 'Live TV' tab at kick-off time, the playoff game you want should be there...and the price is certainly right"
Foxtel will also be broadcasting games weekly and you can also stream games to your laptop or mobile devices using the Foxtel Go app but you’ll need your Foxtel ID to access the app.
Just as Foxtel does, Kayo Sports will also show a number of games throughout the season with weekly coverage expected - now we're down to the playoffs, expect every game to be shown.
The streaming service has a Basic and a Premium plan with the difference being you can watch on two devices with the Basic plan for $25 per month and on three devices with the Premium plan for $35 per month. The best news? Both plans come with a FREE 14-day trial so if you're looking just to watch a specific game or two you can cancel after the 14 days.
However, for the proper, live-for-it NFL fans, we highly recommend you sign up for an NFL Game Pass as it is also available in Australia, and even though it is marginally more expensive you have a much wider range of features.
For those wanting to watch home coverage of sports from overseas, a VPN is usually the solution - and our latest December 2020 testing has current No. 1 pick ExpressVPN working brilliantly with the service.
Should I buy an NFL Game Pass this season?
Watching NFL online has never been easier thanks to the wide variety of streaming services now available. However, the league also has its own streaming service called the NFL Game Pass which allows die-hard football fans to watch every game.
It's really geared towards international fans and that's where it's a great option. In most of the NFL's main international markets, a Game Pass Pro subscription will get you access to every single regular season and playoff game live, plus the Super Bowl, and you also get the league's live highlights show, RedZone. It's now down to £1.99 a week or £50 for access through July 2021.
As well as the UK and Ireland, the service is available in countries like Mexico, Germany and most of Europe, and Australia - with only 'domestic markets' the US and Canada missing out on the full-fat offering.
Instead, there's a US and Canada-only Game Pass option available for $99 a a year that lets you watch commercial-free full game replays right after they've finished. Not the worst offer we've ever heard, but don't get caught out - GamePass does not offer live NFL games in the US or Canada.
Should you decide to give Game Pass a shot, apps for Android and iOS mobile devices as well as on the likes of Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, PS4, and more - plus you can obviously watch on your laptop or desktop computer through a browser.
The only caveat for non-domestic markets (e.g. the UK) are that some games are subject to blackout restrictions due to deals with local pay TV providers (e.g. Sky).
Who won the last Super Bowl?
The reigning Super Bowl champions are the Kansas City Chiefs, who won Super Bowl LIV in 2020 by defeated the San Francisco 49ers 31-20. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was named MVP of the game.
When is Super Bowl LV 2021 and where is it being played?
Super Bowl LV, or Super Bowl 55, is scheduled for Sunday, February 7 and is set to be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida - the third time the stadium has hosted the big game. It also represents the fourth time in NFL history that the Super Bowl is being held in the same state back-to-back years - Miami having hosted Super Bowl LIV in 2020.
- Get ahead of the game: here's how to get a Super Bowl 2021 live stream
Who are the favorites to win Super Bowl 55 in 2021?
With just four teams left, it's safe to say the list of contenders has narrowed considerably. Defending champs the Kansas City Chiefs are still the marginal favorites, though with the field having narrowed so considerably and the 'any given Sunday' rule applying now more than ever, the odds for all four teams aren't that far apart.
After the Chiefs, it's the Packers getting the nod next, followed by the Bills and then the Bucs. But as we've said, there's not much in it anymore.
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