It’s going to be a great weekend of professional football! The 2023 NFL Divisional Playoffs take place on Saturday, January 20th, and Sunday, January 21st with eight teams fighting for a spot to go to the Conference Championship games and a chance to play in Super Bowl LVIII.
The games will be broadcast by four different networks this weekend including ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, FOX, NBC/PEACOCK, and CBS/Paramount+. If you notice, each major studio also has a corresponding streaming network (although FOX just uses its own Fox.com for streaming). In addition, Spanish broadcasts are available on ESPN Deportes, FOX Deportes, and Universo.
So where can you watch the NFL Divisional Playoffs and in the highest quality? Will the games be offered in 4k? So far, the only network committed to offering a game in 4k (Ultra High Definition) is FOX. The 4k (2160p) video from FOX is typically upscaled from an HD (1080p) production, but still offers a much better quality than HD. CBS has said Super Bowl LVIII will be offered in 4k, so maybe we’ll see the network testing some markets this weekend for the Chiefs vs. Bills game on Sunday.
That leaves us with HD (High Definition) for the second highest quality. We’ve been testing streams vs. traditional broadcasts all season and found streaming to offer slightly better image quality and higher frame rates (60pfs). There is a reason why the image quality is sharper in streams rather than broadcasts. Cable and satellite deliver only 720p or 1080i HD resolution while steaming is typically 1080p. 1080i is interlaced (layered frames), while 1080p is progressive (full frame).
Audio is usually just 2.0 (stereo), but there have been broadcasts that offer higher-quality audio feeds with a subwoofer channel. We’ve even heard Dolby Atmos from live sports events. But it’s usually not until the game starts that we can confirm audio format since networks don’t always promote surround sound. [Update: Peacock’s HD stream of the Buccaneers vs. the Lions is offered in Dolby 5.1 surround sound.]
If watching on cable or satellite TV be sure to tune in to the HD channels of each network broadcast. Those signals will typically be 1080i or 720p. Here is a guide to ABC HD Channels, ESPN HD Channels, FOX HD/4k Channels, NBC HD Channels, and CBS HD Channels. As far as streaming, be sure to have enough network bandwidth and use a wired Ethernet connection if possible for the most reliable connection.
NFL Divisional Playoffs Schedule
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH
Texans (10-7) @ Ravens (13-4)
4:30 PM ET (1:30 PM PST)
ESPN, ABC, ESPN+, ESPN DEPORTES
Packers (9-8) @ 49ers (12-5)
8:15 PM ET (5:15 PM PST)
FOX, FOX Sports, FOX DEPORTES
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21ST
Buccaneers (9-8) @ Lions (12-5)
3:00 PM ET (12:00 PM PST)
NBC, PEACOCK, UNIVERSO
Chiefs (11-6) @ Bills (11-6)
6:30 PM ET (3:30 PM PST)
CBS, PARAMOUNT+
Also Read: How To Watch Free HD Channels Over-The-Air
