Beyoncé delivered an exhilarating performance during Netflix’s inaugural NFL broadcast on Christmas Day, eclipsing the excitement on the field. Riding in on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy award winner captivated her hometown audience in Houston with a show that lasted nearly 13 minutes on Wednesday.
In a delightful surprise, she invited Shaboozey to join her for “Sweet Honey Buckiin” and teamed up with Post Malone for “Levii’s Jeans.” Unfortunately, the games themselves were not as thrilling, despite showcasing four of the leading teams in the AFC. Kansas City emerged victorious with a 29-10 win over Pittsburgh, aided by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, who discovered a weakness in the Steelers’ defense.
The broadcast received positive feedback, quickly becoming the second most popular live title on Netflix, as reported by NFL Media. Meanwhile, Lamar Jackson’s Ravens led the Texans 17-2 at halftime, a lead that was maintained despite Beyoncé’s halftime performance, with the Ravens finishing off the game at 31-2 while Jackson rested during most of the final quarter.
Mariah Carey set the day in motion with a pre-recorded rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You,” right before the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs easily defeated the Steelers, securing the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Early broadcasting issues, such as a brief period of silence due to host Kay Adams’ microphone being off, did not seem to affect the viewing experience in a significant way. Beyoncé’s live appearance was considered the ultimate test for the service, which appeared to go smoothly.
During the game, Mahomes threw for impressive stats: 320 yards and three touchdowns, while Kelce made eight receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown, ensuring the Chiefs (15-1) a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Steelers (10-6) faced their third consecutive defeat, potentially forcing them into a wild-card spot. Jackson excelled for the Ravens with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown, while Derrick Henry contributed with 147 rushing yards and one touchdown to place the Ravens (11-5) at the top of the AFC North.
Earlier this year, Netflix signed a three-year agreement in May to exclusively broadcast Christmas Day games, marking a significant milestone for the platform since its inception in 1998. The streaming giant, with 282.3 million subscribers across more than 190 countries, offered the games in five languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German — making it the first time a single service streamed NFL games worldwide.
This event comes after Netflix faced challenges streaming the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight in November, which saw substantial viewer complaints. In contrast, fewer streaming issues were reported during Wednesday’s games. NFL Media indicated that fans from all 50 states tuned in minutes after the pregame show started, and there were nearly 200 countries that watched the first game. Before the Ravens-Texans match began, Netflix announced surpassing its peak concurrent viewers of any Christmas over the previous four years.
The league had not played games on a Wednesday since December 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the only other time the NFL had played on a Wednesday since 1948 was during the 2012 season opener between the Giants and Cowboys.
Apart from the anticipated matchups, Netflix also showcased its own content through advertisements. A teaser trailer for “Happy Gilmore 2” was unveiled just before kickoff, featuring Adam Sandler returning for the sports comedy debuting on the streaming service in 2025. Travis Kelce made an appearance in the trailer, sharing the screen with various celebrities such as Bad Bunny and Kid Cudi.
Historically, the NFL has played its inaugural Christmas Day games in 1971 with two divisional playoff matches. From 1972 to 1988, the league avoided playing on December 25, shifting to a full slate of games on the preceding Saturday if Christmas occurred on a Sunday. Since 1989, there have been a total of 30 games on Christmas, with a maximum of three on any given day. However, this year, the NFL made a special effort to schedule two games on Wednesday, a decision tied to its $150 million agreement with Netflix.
For the broadcasting teams, J.J. Watt, renowned three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and brother of Steelers’ T.J. Watt, shared analyst responsibilities during the Chiefs-Steelers game alongside play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle. Watt expressed his pride for his brother, noting some concern about him nearing his records. Meanwhile, Noah Eagle was on play-by-play for the Ravens-Texans encounter, paired with former NFL tight end Greg Olsen.
It’s noteworthy that this was not the first time NFL games were broadcast solely on a streaming platform. The league has had its Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video for three seasons, and Peacock previously streamed a Packers-Eagles game in Brazil. Additionally, Prime Video is set to stream a wild-card game, while YouTube TV welcomed the “Sunday Ticket” package last year. The largest audience for streaming-only NFL content was recorded at 23 million on Peacock for an AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and the Chiefs last season.
