The game is played on the last Sunday in January by the two remaining playoff teams, following the AFC postseason's first two rounds.

The AFC champion then advances to face the winner of the NFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl.

The first AFC Championship Game was played following the 1970 regular season after the merger between the NFL and the AFL.

The Seattle Seahawks, who have been members in both the AFC and the NFC, hold the distinction of appearing in both conference title games, a loss in the AFC conference title game to the Los Angeles Raiders for Super Bowl XVIII and, in their first appearance in an NFC conference title game, a win over the Carolina Panthers for Super Bowl XL.

The Kansas City Chiefs have hosted the AFC Championship a record five consecutive times, between the 2018–2022 seasons.

The original design consisted of a wooden base with a sculpted AFC logo in the front and a sculpture of various football players in the back.