Don’t Miss Tonight’s Epic Showdown: Rams vs. Panthers Kickoff Time, Channel, and Insider Tips Revealed!

As the NFL postseason heat turns up, Wild Card Weekend kicks off with a high-stakes clash that’s got fans on the edge of their seats. The Los Angeles Rams are heading to Carolina this Saturday, aiming to overturn last month’s surprising Week 13 result where the Panthers triumphed despite their underdog status. The Panthers, champions of the NFC South, hold the home-field edge, but the Rams’ superior 12-5 record can’t be overlooked. Which squad will seize the moment—will the Rams silence the doubters, or will Carolina pull off another stunning postseason upset? Buckle up, because kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX, and I’m breaking down all you need to know about catching the action live and the full Wild Card schedule. LEARN MORE

Wild Card Weekend begins on Saturday afternoon when the Los Angeles Rams visit the Carolina Panthers for the first of six first-round playoff games. The Rams enter the game as a wild card team, while the Panthers won the NFC South, earning them a home field advantage. Though the 12-5 Rams had a better overall record than the 8-9 Panthers, the Panthers defeated the Rams when they last met during Week 13 of the regular season. Will the Rams prove they’re the stronger team, or lose in another shocking upset?

The Rams vs. Panthers game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET this Saturday on Fox. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the Wild Card Weekend game and get the full weekend schedule for the rest of the league.

How to watch the Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers:

Date: Saturday, Jan. 10

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

TV channel: FOX

Streaming: DirecTV, FOX One, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo + more

Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers game time:

The Rams vs. Panthers game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. PT this Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026.

Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers game channel:

The game between the Rams and the Panthers will air on FOX.

How to watch the Los Angeles Rams vs. Carolina Panthers game without cable:

You can stream FOX on platforms like DirecTV and Fubo, and the game will also be available on FOX’s streaming platform FOX One. You can also tune in on NFL+ for mobile viewing.

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier gets you access to loads of channels where you can tune in to college and pro sports, including ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and, depending on where you live, local affiliates for ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

DirecTV’s Entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can currently try all this out for free for 5 days. If you’re interested in trying out a live-TV streaming service for football season but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Try free at DirecTV

FOX One is a streaming service from FOX that launched in August. With a subscription to FOX One, you can tune in to all your favorite FOX channels like FOX News, FOX Sports, FOX Weather, FS1, FS2, FOX Business, FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network (B1G), and local FOX stations all in one place.

FOX One offers live programming, as well as on-demand shows and movies. At launch, the base price for FOX One will cost $19.99 a month, or you can save with an annual subscription for $199.99. FOX Nation fans can even bundle it with FOX One for $24.99 a month, or opt for an annual subscription, which nets out to $19.99/month.

You can also bundle FOX One with ESPN’s newly revamped streaming service for $39.99/month.

$19.99/month at FOX

NFL Wild Card Weekend schedule:

All times Eastern.

Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

L.A. Rams vs. Carolina Panthers: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: 8:00 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026

Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)
San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)
Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots: 8:00 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 12, 2026

How to watch NFL games in 2026:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market-game local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out ahead of the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.

DirecTV is currently offering its Choice tier for $104.98 (after fees) for your first three months.

DirecTV’s Choice tier gets you access to all the usual football suspects: NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, plus ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network and plenty more local Regional Sports Networks. (If you want to avoid paying the RSN fees, the Entertainment Tier has plenty of channels you can catch NFL games on, too.)

Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.

The best part is, currently, you can try all this out free for 5 days. So if you’re interested in trying out a live TV streaming service for football season, but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.

Pros

Full package free trial available
Many local RSNs included
Free ESPN unlimited
Unlimited Cloud DVR

Cons

Cost
Regional Sports Network fee

$104.98 for your first three months at DirecTV

Fubo’s new skinny sports bundle, Fubo Sports, includes local broadcast stations owned-and-operated by ABC, CBS and FOX, plus additional affiliates in select markets, as well as ACC Network, Big 10 Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox News, FS1, FS2, Fubo Sports Network, ION, NFL Network, SEC Network and Tennis Channel. It also includes free access to ESPN’s new ESPN+ unlimited plan. Fubo subscribers also get unlimited cloud DVR storage.

You can get $10 off your first month of the Fubo Sports package, which brings the cost to $45.99. After your first month it goes up to $55.99/month.

This new Fubo package has you covered for most nationally broadcast or in-market NFL games, and still leaves you with major savings compared to a traditional cable package.

The platform offers a free trial period, so you can check it out for a few days of the 2025 NFL season and decide if it’s right for you this year.

Pros

Free trial available
Unlimited cloud DVR storage
Free ESPN unlimited

Cons

Entirely sports-focused
Doesn’t include NBC

$45.99 for your first month at Fubo

Amazon Prime Video is the exclusive home for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. On top of Amazon Prime Video, an Amazon Prime subscription includes free shipping, exclusive deals, access to the Prime Day 2025 sale event, Amazon Music, a year of free GrubHub+ and more. A standard Amazon Prime subscription is $15 monthly or $139 annually, but discounts are available for students and those on qualified government assistance. You can try Amazon Prime free for 30 days.

Pros

You probably already have access to Prime Video

Cons

Only Thursday Night Football games

$15 at Amazon

A basic $6.99 per month (or $40 annually) NFL+ subscription will get you live local and primetime regular and preseason NFL games exclusively on your phone or tablet, plus live audio for every game of the season across supported devices and access to NFL Network. NFL+ Premium, while a little pricier at $14.99 per month (or $80 annually) also includes access to NFL RedZone, plus full and condensed replays of every game across supported devices.

Cons

Can only watch MOST live games on your phone

$6.99/month at NFL

ESPN’s revamped streaming platform offers thousands of exclusive live events, original studio shows and acclaimed series that air across ESPN’s suite of 7 linear channels, as well as exclusive content on ESPN+, ABC on ESPN, SEC+, ACCNX and some content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone. The new tier costs $29.99/month or $299.99/year.

For an extra $10/month, you can bundle ESPN unlimited with NFL+ Premium, which includes full access to NFL Network and NFL Redzone, plus out-of-market NFL games on mobile.

Pros

All ESPN content in one place
Content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone
Bundle option with NFL+

Cons

Only ESPN games available with the base service

$29.99/month at ESPN

FOX One offers live programming, as well as shows and movies on demand. At launch, the base price for FOX One will cost $19.99 a month, or you can save with an annual subscription for $199.99. FOX Nation fans can even bundle it with FOX One for $24.99 a month, or opt for an annual subscription which nets out to $19.99/month – that’s like getting a year of FOX Nation free.

$19.99/month at FOX

Paramount+ offers subscribers access to loads of sports, including loads of weekly NFL games all season long, plus great shows like Survivor, The Challenge and more.

Unlike a lot of other streaming services these days, Paramount+ still offers a free trial — so new subscribers can sign up to watch Week 1 of the NFL season and all the other great programming on the platform. Once the trial ends, you can choose the ad-supported Essential plan or their ad-free Premium plan with Showtime for access which also gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to your local CBS station, and full streaming access to Showtime. Paramount+ Essential plan costs $7.99/month, while Paramount+ Premium plans cost $12.99/month.

Try it free at Paramount+