Bengals vs. Chiefs AFC Championship: Game time, TV and how to watch live online

The Game

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs play the Cincinnati Bengals for the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. Arrowhead Time. The game will be broadcast on CBS — locally on KCTV/5.

With this game, Kansas City is hosting its fourth straight AFC Championship. While other NFL squads have appeared in four straight conference championships, no team has ever hosted four in a row. A year ago, the Chiefs won a 38-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills to advance to Super Bowl LV, where they fell 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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In 2021, Kansas City finished with a 12-5 record that gave them their sixth consecutive AFC West championship and the AFC’s second postseason seed. In the Wild Card round, the team drew the Pittsburgh Steelers, which it defeated 42-21. Then in the Divisional round, the Chiefs hosted the Buffalo Bills, winning 42-36 in overtime after the two teams scored 25 points in the final two minutes of regulation.

In contrast, the Bengals haven’t appeared in a conference championship since 1988, when they defeated the Bills 21-10 to advance to Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16. In 1990, they made the playoffs once again. This time, they defeated the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card round only to fall to the Los Angeles Raiders in the Divisional round. From 2005 through 2015, Cincinnati made the playoffs seven times over an 11-year period, but never advanced past the Wild Card round.

So after the Bengals went 10-7 to win the NFC North in 2021 — with third-year head coach Zac Taylor and 2020 first-overall draft pick Joe Burrow at quarterback — expectations have been high. Entering the postseason with the AFC’s fourth seed, the Bengals defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 in the Wild Card round — their first playoff victory in 31 years — and won the right to appear in the conference championship by defeating the first-seeded Tennessee Titans 19-16 in the Divisional round.

The two teams have already met once this season. In Week 17, the Bengals hosted the Chiefs at Paul Brown Stadium in a matchup where Kansas City needed a win to retain a chance at the AFC’s first seed, while Cincinnati could clinch their division with a victory. Burrow completed 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns on the way to a last-second field goal that defeated Kansas City 34-31. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 266 of those yards — an NFL single-game record for a rookie — and three of those touchdowns.

The Chiefs are seven-point favorites to win their third consecutive AFC championship and face either the 49ers or Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI, which will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13.

Nuts and bolts

• Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
• Playing surface: Natural grass
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. Arrowhead Time, Sunday, January 30, 2022
• Weather forecast: Partly cloudy and 42, winds NW 3 mph
• Matchup history: 16-14 Bengals (regular season)
• Odds: Chiefs -7, per DraftKings Sportsbook
• Officials: Referee Bill Vinovich (52), umpire Fred Bryan (11), down judge Ed Camp (134), line judge Jeff Seeman (45), field judge Mearl Robinson (31), side judge Jonah Monroe (120), back judge Greg Meyer (78), replay official Mark Butterworth and replay assistant Larry Hanson.
• Pageantry: Colors: Fort Leonard Wood Joint Services Color Guard. National Anthem: Ashanti. Flyover: Four A-10 Thunderbolts from Whiteman Air Force Base, Knob Noster, Missouri. Drum Deck Honoree: Clark Hunt. Spirit Leaders: Jamaal Charles and Derrick Johnson.
• Television broadcast: with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson on KCTV (CBS/5-Kansas City), Chiefs Mobile App, WKRC (CBS/12-Cincinnati) and CBS affiliates nationwide
• Online Stream: Fubo.TV, Paramount+
• Chiefs radio broadcast: with Mitch Holthus, Danan Hughes and Josh Klingler on WDAF (106.5 FM-Kansas City) and Chiefs Radio Network affiliates
• SiriusXM broadcast: Channel 226
• Chiefs Spanish radio broadcast: with Enrique Morales, Oscar Monterroso and Hannah Bassham on KPRS (103.3 FM-Kansas City)
• Bengals radio broadcast: with Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham on WEBN (FM 102.7-Cincinnati), WLW (AM 700-Cincinnati), WCKY (AM 1530-Cincinnati) and Bengals Radio Network affiliates
• Enemy SB Nation site: Cincy Jungle
• Twitter: Arrowhead Pride
• Facebook: Please like us!

What you need to know in the stadium

• Parking lots open: 9:30 a.m.
• Stadium gates open: Noon
• COVID-19: With the expiration of the Kansas City, Missouri mask ordinance, masks are no longer required in indoor spaces. However, per Kansas City Health Department recommendations, masks are still encouraged.
• Masks are not required outdoors — but they are encouraged for guests who have not been fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated stadium staff — and all those working inside enclosed public areas — are directed to wear masks. A complete list of the stadium’s health and safety protocols is available at www.Chiefs.com.
• Parking passes: All parking passes must be purchased in advance at www.Chiefs.com; payments will not be accepted at the parking toll gates.
• Cashless Arrowhead: All concession stands and retail points of sale are completely cashless. Fixed points of sale offer traditional scan and chip reader options for credit/debit cards and mobile tap or scan payment options — including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. In-stadium hawkers and vendors accept credit cards only.
• Clear bags, permitted items: The NFL’s clear bag policy is in place for all Arrowhead Stadium events. Fans may visit www.Chiefs.com for important information on the clear bag policy and a complete list of permitted and prohibited items.