Streaming NFL Wild Card Weekend Is Going to be Really Expensive

It will cost fans just under $90 to stream every NFL game during Wild Card weekend. To access all six games, viewers will need the following streaming services:

Paramount+ – $11.99/month (Rams–Panthers and 49ers–Eagles)
Amazon Prime – $14.99/month (Packers–Bears)
Paramount+ – $11.99/month (Bills–Jaguars)
Peacock – $11.99/month (Chargers–Patriots)
ESPN – $29.99/month (Texans–Steelers)

In total, that’s $88.95 per month just to stream all the games this weekend.

The one silver lining: if you sign up this week, your subscriptions will cover the entire NFL postseason, which concludes with the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 on NBC/Peacock.

If it helps, you can justify the cost as less than $100 to stream the full playoffs. Still not ideal, but somewhat easier to swallow.

Savvy streamers may be able to trim the cost by finding bundles or using alternate emails to secure 14-day free trials on select services. For example, you can combine ESPN and Fox One for $10 off.

Still, watching sports has never been more complicated and expensive.

And it’s not going to get any easier or cheaper. Not long ago, the NFL playoffs were broadcast exclusively on CBS, Fox, and NBC. Since then, ESPN and Amazon have joined the lineup, and new partners like Netflix and YouTube are likely to enter the mix by 2029, when the league is expected to opt out of its current broadcast deals.

Rest assured, the NFL knows that Wild Card weekend features six games, but only five broadcast partners are involved. That won’t be the case for much longer.

To be fair, we are the problem. 

If we weren't willing to pay for multiple services just to watch NFL football, the league wouldn't get away with its current strategy of fragmentation. However, despite our complaints on social media, we continue to watch and pay.