Heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cincinnati Bengals are playing with their season on the line.
There is only one playoff spot remaining in the AFC, and the Bengals are currently on the bubble. A win tonight alone will not secure them a playoff berth. Both the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins will have to lose tomorrow, coupled with a Bengals win tonight, for Cincinnati to punch its ticket to the postseason.
The Steelers have already reached the playoffs, but tonight's game could have big implications for their seeding, depending on the outcome of Saturday afternoon's meeting between the Ravens and Browns. The Ravens can secure the AFC North title with a win, but if they lose, the Steelers could clinch the division with a win tonight.
Here's everything you need to know about Bengals vs. Steelers, from start time and channel to how to watch for free.
Bengals-Steelers date and time: When do the Bengals play the Steelers?
The Bengals-Steelers game is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 PM ET tonight, January 4th.
What channel is Bengals vs. Steelers on?
The Bengals vs. Steelers game airs on both ABC and ESPN after the Browns vs. Ravens game. If you have cable or an antenna, all you have to do is change the channel around 8:00pm tonight.
How to watch Bengals vs. Steelers for free:
If you don't have cable, the only way to stream the Bengals vs. Steelers free is to use a live TV streaming service with a free trial.
We recommend DIRECTV Stream, which offers a free five-day trial for new subscribers. When the trial ends, you'll pay $86.98 per month and get access to over 90 live channels including ESPN, ABC, and ESPN2.
fuboTV also offers a free trial for new users. It runs for seven days, after which you'll be able to save $5 the first month ($74.99, $79.99 per month after that).
Other ways to stream Bengals vs. Steelers:
Although Sling TV doesn't offer any free days, you'll save money for a full month of streaming instead of just five free days. Sling TV's Orange plan, which includes ESPN, is currently half your first month. Instead of $45.99, you'll pay $23 and get access to a handful of NFL and college football playoff games before your second month's payment is due.
ESPN+ costs $11.99 per month or $119 per year, and with it you can watch live MLB, NHL, out-of-market NFL and NCAA soccer games, plus Formula 1, PGA Tour, US Open Tennis, and more.
ESPN+ and Disney bundle:
If you want to save a few bucks each month by bundling some streaming services and Watch MNF When available, consider a Disney package. For just $16.99 per month, you'll get access to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu with ads, and for an additional $10 per month, you can remove ads from Disney+ and Hulu.
NFL schedule for Week 18:
Saturday 4 January
- Cleveland in Baltimore4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+)
- Cincinnati at Pittsburgh8:00 PM ET (ESPN, ABC, ESPN+)
Sunday 4 January
- Carolina in Atlanta1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Washington in Dallas1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Chicago at Green Bay1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
- Houston in Tennessee1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Jacksonville in Indianapolis1:00 p.m. ET (FOX)
- (Buffalo, New England).1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
- New York Giants in Philadelphia1:00 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Kansas City in Denver4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Los Angeles Chargers in Las Vegas4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
- Seattle at Los Angeles Rams4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Miami at New York Jets4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- San Francisco in Arizona4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)
- Minnesota in Detroit8:20 p.m. ET (NBC, Peacock)
Why Trust Post wants the New York Post
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, business writer/reporter for Post Wanted Shopping and the New York Post's live feature, Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date with relevant deals and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on each streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers get the best rates, but she's also a big fan of the intersection of shopping, technology, sports, and pop culture. Before joining Decider and the New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech for Insider Reviews
