This Weekend's Marquee NFL Playoff Game Isn't on Broadcast. Here's Where to Watch
The most compelling NFL playoff game of the weekend isn't airing on TV. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will face off Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. EST on Amazon Prime, available nationally to those with a Prime subscription.
The 100-year rivals, who have only faced off in the playoffs twice before, drew a combined 58.2 million viewers for their two late-season matchups--including an instant classic in Week 16.
Surely, the NFL's broadcast partners, which pay the league nearly $10 billion annually, would want the best playoff game for themselves. But after a deliberate process, Amazon won out.
Here's what happened...
Why is Bears-Packers on Amazon Prime?
When it comes to media rights, the NFL is spiking the football. In addition to its broadcast partners--CBS, ESPN/ABC, NBC and FOX--the league also has an $11 billion deal with Amazon and a $150 million deal with Netflix to air two games each year on Christmas Day.
In 2023, the NFL debuted a streaming-only game with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock. It set the record for the most-streamed event in U.S. history at 23 million viewers.
Still, that number pales in comparison to what playoff games draw on TV. But the NFL is playing the long game.
Though the NFL typically schedules its best game for either Sunday late-afternoon or Sunday night, it wanted to placate Amazon, a growing partner.
"The NFL chose to lean into its burgeoning relationship with Prime Video’s owner, Amazon," reported Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times. "While the NFL remains committed to keeping games on broadcast TV, it wants streaming to be a significant part of its media rights," he continued.
Along similar lines, Prime games attract a younger audience: the average age for Prime's Thursday Night Football this season was 49.4, almost seven years younger than the average viewer on linear TV.
As the season wore on, fans complained about the bevy of subscriptions needed to watch the NFL. Unfortunately for them, the trend will likely only continue
To watch NFL Week 17 you just need:
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) December 27, 2025
Netflix
Prime Video
NFL Network
Peacock/NBC
FOX
CBS
ESPN
How to Watch
As mentioned previously, Bears-Packers is available nationwide on Amazon Prime, which costs $14.99 per month or $139 annually. But in the Chicago and Wisconsin markets, the marquee affair will also be available on linear TV.
In Chicagoland, the game will air on FOX 32. Packers fans, meanwhile, can enjoy the game on FOX6 Milwaukee and NBC26 in Green Bay.
As frustrating as it may be for major NFL games to be on streaming, fans are finding them. TNF viewership this year was the best ever.