BMW Championship 2016 viewing guide: Coverage schedule and how to watch live online

The 2016 FedEx Cup Playoffs hit the home stretch this week with the start of the BMW Championship from Crooked Stick. While there are still two events left in the playoffs, this week is a pivotal one for positioning heading into the Tour Championship.

The field this week will consist of 70 players, a 30-player cut from the 100 who played last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Only 30 will continue onto the Tour Championship next week and have the chance to play for the $10 million FedEx Cup grand prize. That leaves this week as the final chance to make a surge up the leaderboard before the points reset.

A major focus this week will be on the top five. The point totals reset heading into the Tour Championship and the breakdown allows the top 5 players to control their own destiny. Any of those players can win the playoffs with a victory at the Tour Championship. Players seeded below that will need things to break right if they are going to have a chance. With Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed currently forming the top six, there will be another battle among the top players in the world.

McIlroy is a late entrant into the playoffs chase. He’s had a relatively lackluster PGA Tour season and was on the bubble of even being able to qualify for the Tour Championship heading into last week. Then it all came together and he walked away with a win at the Deutsche Bank to jump from No. 38 to No. 4 in the FedEx Cup standings.

If McIlroy plays as well this week as he did last, he could be the favorite heading into the final week. Crooked Stick is a familiar stomping grounds for him as well. It was the site of his 2012 win at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

With so many big names and highly-ranked players at the top of the standing, the focus will be on the top six players. This week is a chance for the other 64 as well. In addition to the $10 million prize for winning the playoffs, there will be another $8.5 million purse on the line at the Tour Championship and with only 30 players in the field, it will be a lucrative purse for the entire field.

Golf Channel and NBC will combine on television coverage this week with Golf Channel handling the first two days of coverage before the networks split the broadcast during the weekend. Viewers will also be able to follow the action online thanks to streams from PGATour.com. Here is a complete look at the coverage this week from Crooked Stick.

3 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel

8 to 12 a.m. -- Golf Channel (replay)

10 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream

3 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream

1 to 7 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

3 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel

8 to 12 a.m. -- Golf Channel (replay)

10 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream

3 to 7 p.m. -- Golf Channel simulcast stream

1 to 7 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

12 to 3:30 p.m. -- NBC

3:30 to 6 p.m. -- Golf Channel

7 to 10 p.m. -- Golf Channel (replay)

8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream

12 to 6 p.m. -- Golf Channel/NBC Sports LiveExtra simulcast stream

1 to 6 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)

Noon to 2 p.m. ET -- Golf Channel

2 to 6 p.m. -- NBC

7 p.m. to 1 a.m. -- Golf Channel (replay)

8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. -- PGATour.com featured groups stream

Noon to 5 p.m. -- Golf Channel/NBC Sports LiveExtra simulcast stream

1 to 6 p.m. -- PGA Tour Radio on Sirius-XM (Ch. 93/208)