For weeks now, the 49ers have looked nailed-on for the NFC's No.1 seed and first-round bye, but are they wobbling at the worst possible moment? Monday's interception-riddled capitulation has tarnished their visage and introduced an element of jeopardy where previously there had been none.
San Francisco 49ers inactives: QB Brandon Allen, WR Jauan Jennings, TE Ross Dwelley, OL Jaylon Moore, DL Arik Armstead, LB Jalen Graham, S Ji’Ayir Brown
Washington Commanders inactives: QB Jacoby Brissett, WR Mitchell Tinsley, TE Cole Turner, OT Andrew Wylie, DE Jalen Harris, CB Kendall Fuller, CB Benjamin St-Juste
49ers vs Commanders is airing on Fox in the US, NFL Game Pass in the UK, and Kayo Sports in Australia today. Don't worry if you're abroad, because you can watch NFL live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
Time: 1 pm ET / 10 am PT / 6 pm UK / 5 am AEDT (Jan. 1)
US: Fox (via Fubo/Sling/Hulu with Live TV/YouTube TV)
UK: NFL Game Pass
AU: NFL Game Pass
The Niners remain in pole position by virtue of holding the tiebreaker over the Eagles, who themselves have the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Lions, but with all three teams 11-4, it's a finely balanced thing.
Detroit's remaining fixtures are by far the toughest on paper and Philadelphia's are the easiest, meaning San Francisco are in all likelihood going to have to win out to keep hold of that No.1 spot – and next weekend's clash with their playoff-chasing divisional rivals the Rams is unlikely to be a walk in the park.
Brock Purdy's confidence will be brittle after his chastening encounter with the Ravens defense, which forced him into throwing four interceptions before forcing him off the field altogether. While the Commanders are already out of contention, Jacoby Brissett and Sam Howell are playing for QB1 status, and beating one of the top teams in the league would be a pretty good alternative to a playoff spot.
If you're a keen NFL fan, you'll want to know how to watch 49ers vs Commanders live streams. We've got all the information on that below.
How to watch 49ers vs Commanders in the US
How to watch 49ers vs Commanders in the UK
You can watch 49ers vs Commanders with an NFL Game Pass subscription in the UK.
The streaming service shows every single out-of-market game live and costs £15 per week or £35 for the rest of the season.
Kick-off is scheduled for 6 pm UK on Sunday evening.
Sky Sports typically shows five games live every week, but the 49ers vs Commanders isn't one of this weekend's selections.
Sky Sports costs £56 per month — that's £29 for the base Sky Entertainment & Netflix plan and another £27 for the Sky Sports add-on. This is on a 31-day rolling contract too, and you can save £5 in total per month if you opt for an 18-month contract instead.
The NOW streaming service is a more flexible way to get Sky Sports, and will set you back either £11.99 for a day membership or £33.99 for a monthly membership.
How to watch 49ers vs Commanders in Australia
You can watch Commanders vs 49ers with an NFL Game Pass subscription in Australia. Just be warned that kick-off is set for 5 am AEDT in the early hours of Monday morning.
The streaming service shows every single out-of-market game live and costs AU$29 per week or AU$100 for the rest of the season.
If you're trying to access the streaming platform while outside Australia, you might want to try a VPN to watch from abroad.
How to watch 49ers vs Commanders from anywhere with a VPN
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a major broadcaster is streaming the 49ers vs Commanders game.
However, in some places, there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the game. Thankfully, you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN).
A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the NFL even if it isn't directly broadcasting where you are. Our favourite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN.
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc).
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
What time is the 49ers vs Commanders kick-off?
Kick-off for the 49ers vs Commanders is at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT / 6 pm UK / 5 am AEDT on Sunday, December 31 (Monday, January 1 for viewers in Australia).
