NFL play-offs schedule, kick-off times and BBC coverage

NFL play-offs

Dates: 10-26 January 2025

BBC coverage: Live text coverage of every match on the BBC Sport website and app, and live radio commentary of selected games on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds.

Eight teams remain in the race to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans on 9 February.

The play-offs continue with the divisional round on 18-19 January, with two games on each day.

The top seeds in each Conference – the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFC – join the fray after getting a bye for the first round.

Here’s the play-off schedule.

NFL play-offs schedule & kick-off times

AFC = American Football Conference, NFC = National Football Conference (seed in brackets)

Wildcard Weekend

Saturday, 11 January

Sunday, 12 January

Monday, 13 January

Divisional Round

Saturday, 18 January

• AFC – Houston Texans (4) at Kansas City Chiefs (1), 21:30 GMT

• NFC – Washington Commanders (6) at Detroit Lions (1), 01:15 GMT (Sunday morning)

Sunday, 19 January

• NFC, Los Angeles Rams (4) at Philadelphia Eagles (2) 20:00 GMT

• AFC – Baltimore Ravens (3) at Buffalo Bills (2), 23:30 GMT

Championship Round

Sunday 26 January

• NFC Championship game, 20:00 GMT

• AFC Championship game, 23:30 GMT

How do the NFL play-offs work?

A total of 14 teams are in the NFL play-offs, seven from each Conference, in which 12 knockout games are played over three weekends to decide who will reach the Super Bowl.

Teams from each Conference are kept apart until the Super Bowl and, in each round, the highest seed remaining plays at home to the lowest seed.

The top seed in each Conference – the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFC – have a bye for the first round, known as Wildcard Weekend, when six games are played featuring seeds two to seven.

The winners then join the top seeds in the Divisional Round, and the four winners there meet in the Conference Championships – effectively the Super Bowl semi-finals as the two winners earn the right to represent their Conference in the big game.

When is the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl 59 will take place on 9 February (kick-off 23:30 GMT) in New Orleans at the Superdome, which has hosted more Super Bowls than any other stadium (seven).

It will be the first time since 2013 that the game has been played in New Orleans and the 11th overall – a joint record with Miami.