For the first time, an NFL playoff game will be available exclusively via national streaming service and not an over-the-air or cable broadcast this season. The NFL Wild Card Game on Jan. 13, 2024 at 8 p.m. will be streamed nationally on Peacock, an NBC-owned streaming platform. Peacock will also be streaming one regular-season game this year, on Dec. 23.
NBC will have a playoff doubleheader on Jan. 13, with the Peacock game following a regular NBC broadcast at 4:30 p.m.
“We are thrilled to partner with the NFL on this industry milestone, bringing to Peacock the first ever exclusively live streamed NFL Playoff game,” NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a press release. ”With America’s No. 1 primetime show for a record 12 consecutive years, the terrific regular season SNF schedule revealed last week, and today’s announcement, we can’t wait for the 2023 season to kick off.”
The NFL has been increasing its use of streaming broadcasts in recent seasons, with streamer Amazon Prime taking over the Thursday Night Football package in 2022. That package does not include any playoff games.
NBC will also have Peacock simulcast its Sunday Night Football streams this year for the second consecutive season, and will again have exclusive post-game coverage that continues after the NBC affiliates have gone to their local news.
“We are excited to work with a great partner in Peacock to present the first-ever exclusively live streamed NFL playoff game this upcoming season,” NFL vice president and COO of NFL Media Hans Schroeder said. “Expanding the digital distribution of NFL content while maintaining wide reach for our games continues to be a key priority for the League, and bringing the excitement of an NFL playoff game exclusively to Peacock’s streaming platform is the next step in that strategy.”
The NFL will continue its policy of games being available over the air in local markets. If the Steelers play in the Wild Card game that is streamed on Peacock, WPXI-TV Channel 11 will carry the game in Pittsburgh.