If you’re staring at your remote wondering what channel is tonight's game on, you’ve probably realized that sports broadcasting in 2026 is a total maze. Between the NFL Divisional Round, a packed NBA Saturday, and enough college hoops to make your head spin, finding the right network feels like a full-time job.
Honestly, the days of just flipping to "the sports channel" are long gone. Today, Saturday, January 17, 2026, is a massive day for the NFL postseason. We are officially in the heart of the Divisional Round. This is where the pretenders get sent home and the real Super Bowl contenders start to sweat.
NFL Divisional Round: Who is Playing Tonight?
The NFL takes center stage today with two massive matchups that will determine who moves on to the Conference Championships next week.
First up, at 4:30 p.m. ET, the Buffalo Bills travel to Mile High to face the Denver Broncos. If you’re looking for this game, you’ll find it on CBS. For the cord-cutters out there, it’s also streaming live on Paramount+. It’s a classic AFC clash. Watching Josh Allen try to navigate the thin air in Denver is always a spectacle, and the Broncos have been surprisingly dominant at home this year.
Once that wraps up, we switch over to the NFC. At 8:00 p.m. ET, the San Francisco 49ers take on the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. This one is on FOX. If you’re using a streaming service like Fubo or the FOX Sports app, you’re covered there too. It’s an NFC West rivalry with the highest possible stakes. Seattle’s "12th Man" is going to be deafening, but the Niners’ defense has been a brick wall lately.
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NBA Saturday Night Matchups
Not into football? Or maybe you just need something for the "second screen" while the NFL is on commercial. The NBA has a deep slate tonight, though most are regional.
If you’re looking for national TV, NBA TV is carrying the Phoenix Suns at New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET. There’s something special about a Saturday night game at Madison Square Garden; the energy is just different. Later on, at 10:00 p.m. ET, the Los Angeles Lakers face the Portland Trail Blazers, also on NBA TV.
For the rest of the league, you’re mostly looking at local regional sports networks (RSNs) or NBA League Pass. Here's a quick look at the local coverage for the other games:
- Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks: 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Boston / FanDuel Sports Network Southeast)
- Utah Jazz @ Dallas Mavericks: 2:00 p.m. ET (KJZZ / Mavericks local)
- Oklahoma City Thunder @ Miami Heat: 8:00 p.m. ET (FanDuel Sports Network)
Basically, if your team isn't on the national broadcast, you better have your local RSN login ready or a League Pass subscription active.
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College Basketball Marquee Games
The college hoops world is also in full swing today. The big one to watch is UCLA vs. Ohio State at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS. It’s a cross-country showdown that usually has big tournament seeding implications.
Later in the afternoon, Arizona takes on UCF at 4:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Arizona has been a juggernaut this season, and seeing how they handle a tough road environment is always a good litmus test.
If you’re looking for the prime-time college slot, check out St. John's vs. Villanova at 8:00 p.m. ET. That one is airing on FS1. Big East basketball in January is basically a fistfight in sneakers, so expect a lot of intensity there.
NHL and Everything Else
The NHL isn’t sitting this one out either. Hockey Night in Canada is the big draw if you can access those feeds. Specifically, the Oilers vs. Canucks at 10:00 p.m. ET is the game of the night for hockey purists. In the U.S., many of these games are tucked away on ESPN+ or local networks like MSG or NESN.
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Quick Summary for Your Remote
To make your life easier, here is the "cheat sheet" for the biggest games tonight:
- NFL: Bills @ Broncos – 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS/Paramount+
- NFL: 49ers @ Seahawks – 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX
- NBA: Suns @ Knicks – 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
- CBB: St. John's @ Villanova – 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1
- NBA: Lakers @ Blazers – 10:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV
The best way to ensure you don't miss kickoff is to double-check your local listings about 30 minutes prior. Networks love to shuffle things if a previous game runs long—especially in the NFL playoffs where overtime is always a possibility.
Make sure your streaming apps are updated. There is nothing worse than opening Paramount+ or the FOX Sports app right at kickoff only to be met with a 10-minute mandatory update screen. Get that sorted now so you can just sit back and enjoy the games.