You do not need Peacock to watch every MLB Wild Card game, but it is the only single service that carries all of them. Two of the four series, Phillies vs. Braves and Red Sox vs. Yankees, air on NBC, so an antenna, cable or any live TV service with your local NBC station works. The other two, White Sox vs. Astros and Cubs vs. Padres, air on NBCSN, a cable channel that so far is only on YouTube TV, Fubo and Xfinity. Every game also streams on Peacock. The chart below shows what you need for each game.
| Game | Time (ET) | Without Peacock | With Peacock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phillies at Braves | 2 p.m. | NBC: antenna, cable or live TV service | Streams live |
| White Sox at Astros | 5 p.m. | NBCSN only: YouTube TV, Fubo or Xfinity | Streams live |
| Red Sox at Yankees | 8 p.m. | NBC: antenna, cable or live TV service | Streams live |
| Cubs at Padres | 10 p.m. | NBCSN only: YouTube TV, Fubo or Xfinity | Streams live |
The same channels apply to Game 2 on Wednesday. Thursday’s Game 3s, if needed, will be split between NBC and NBCSN depending on how many are played.
Who Needs Peacock
Fans of the White Sox, Astros, Cubs or Padres without YouTube TV, Fubo or Xfinity need Peacock to see their series live, since NBCSN is not yet on DIRECTV, DISH, Spectrum, Hulu + Live TV or Sling. Fans of the Phillies, Braves, Red Sox or Yankees can watch on regular NBC. Anyone who wants all four series in one place is best served by Peacock, which requires a paid Peacock Premium plan for live sports.
After the Wild Card Round
NBC’s coverage ends with the Wild Card Series. From the Division Series on, NL games are on FOX and FS1, AL games are on TBS, truTV and HBO Max, and the World Series is on FOX, so Peacock is not needed after Thursday. Full details are on our MLB playoffs TV schedule.
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Broadcast details are from MLB.com.