Welcome to Week 16! The NFL playoffs are looming, and there are two games today followed by a full slate tomorrow. The biggest game today is an NFC North showdown between longtime rivals Chicago and Green Bay, which starts tonight at 8:20 p.m. ET (5:20 p.m. PT) and will be broadcast nationally on Fox.
On Sunday, the Bills will look to capitalize on their win last Sunday against the Patriots and keep the heat on their AFC East rivals. The Bills are in Cleveland to take on the Browns, who are in the middle of another lost season but are still worth watching because Myles Garrett is nearing the NFL’s single-season sack record. The Bills-Browns game will be shown in most of the country as the 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) game on CBS, followed in nearly every market by the Steelers and Lions at 4:25 p.m. ET (1:25 p.m. PT) on CBS.
It’s a bit more mixed for the single Fox game on Sunday, but the game that’ll be shown in the most areas is the Chargers and Cowboys that starts at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT), according to the coverage map on 506 Sports.
If you find yourself less interested in the games that are being broadcast in your area or your access is blocked because of an internet location glitch, there’s an option to watch another game that doesn’t require subscribing to something like NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Plus, or searching the internet for a sketchy website: You can use a virtual private network. With a VPN, you can watch any of today’s games from anywhere.
How to watch NFL Week 16 from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view this weekend’s games locally because of incorrectly applied blackout restrictions, you may need a different way to watch. That’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, plus it’s a great idea for when you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
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Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks. Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
Plan out your weekend football viewing
The weekend slate arrives a day early with two games on Saturday. Both are NFC clashes, and you can watch both on your local Fox channel or the Fox One streaming service.
NFL Week 16 Saturday schedule
| Away team | Home team | Time (ET) | TV channel | Streaming service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | Washington Commanders | 5 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Green Bay Packers | Chicago Bears | 8:20 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
On Sunday, there are seven games starting at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) on CBS and Fox today, followed by four games in the late window before we get to the Sunday night game on NBC and Peacock.
NFL Week 16 Sunday schedule
| Away team | Home team | Time (ET) | TV channel | Streaming service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| Kansas City Chiefs | Tennessee Titans | 1 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| Cincinnati Bengals | Miami Dolphins | 1 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| New York Jets | New Orleans Saints | 1 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| Los Angeles Chargers | Dallas Cowboys | 1 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Minnesota Vikings | New York Giants | 1 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Carolina Panthers | 1 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Denver Broncos | 4:05 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Atlanta Falcons | Arizona Cardinals | 4:05 p.m. | Fox | Fox One |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Detroit Lions | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| Las Vegas Raiders | Houston Texans | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | Paramount Plus |
| New England Patriots | Baltimore Ravens | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Peacock |
How to watch NFL Week 16 in the US
If you don’t want to subscribe to a live TV streaming service, you can watch the CBS games with Paramount Plus, the Fox games with Fox One and the NBC games with Peacock.
Best live TV streaming services for NFL fans
While subscribing to Paramount Plus, Fox One and Peacock is cheaper than a live TV streaming service, the advantage of the latter is the ability to flip quickly between CBS and Fox on Sunday afternoon when two games are on at the same time. Shutting down one streaming service and firing up another is much slower and more annoying, to the point that it’s not worth flipping to the other game during a commercial break of the one you’re watching.
The good news for football fans is that CBS and Fox are available on most live TV streaming services along with NBC, ABC, ESPN and NFL Network for SNF, MNF and the NFL’s international games.
All the live TV streaming services above allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live TV streaming services guide.
Quick tips for streaming the NFL with a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the «search for city or country» option.
- If you’re having trouble accessing the game after turning on your VPN and setting it to the correct viewing area, there are two quick fixes you can try. First, log in to your streaming service subscription account and ensure the address registered for the account is within the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll need to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (such as your phone) so that any device connected to its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after installing a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to the email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router can also be helpful, as both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
