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Home Money & Business Business NFL to Stream Christmas Day Matches on Netflix for the First Time

NFL to Stream Christmas Day Matches on Netflix for the First Time

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NFL to Stream Christmas Day Matches on Netflix for the First Time

Netflix is poised for a significant milestone as it broadcasts two NFL games for the first time in its history on Wednesday, marking one of the streaming platform’s biggest events since its inception in 1998.

“NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m. followed by the matchup between Pittsburgh and Kansas City. The second game features Baltimore against Houston.

The streaming service entered into a three-year agreement in May to stream games on Christmas Day. Fans across Netflix’s base of 282.3 million subscribers in more than 190 countries will have access to the games, representing a first in global NFL game distribution through a single platform. Viewers can choose from five languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

Additionally, the games will also be televised on CBS affiliates in the respective teams’ cities, in compliance with the NFL’s policy requiring that games offered exclusively on cable or streaming also be available on local over-the-air stations. For U.S. viewers with NFL+, the games will be accessible on mobile devices as well.

The primary motivation for streaming these Christmas Day games comes down to financial gain. The NFL has secured $150 million from Netflix for this season’s games alone. This move continues the league’s transition into the streaming realm, following previous partnerships for Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video and the Sunday Ticket package now available via YouTube TV.

Although traditionally, Christmas lands on a Wednesday when NFL games are usually absent from the schedule, the league is unwilling to forfeit this lucrative holiday following impressive ratings from past games. Last year, the average viewership for three games reached an impressive 28.68 million, with the afternoon game between the Raiders and Chiefs attracting a record 29.48 million viewers.

All four competing teams have secured their playoff berths, yet playoff positioning remains uncertain. Kansas City (14-1) can secure the top seed with a victory over Pittsburgh, which, along with Baltimore, is in a tight race at 10-5 in the AFC North; the Steelers hold the tiebreaker through a superior conference record. Houston, with a record of 9-6, has also clinched the AFC South and occupies the fourth seed.

Addressing past streaming issues, Netflix aims to improve its reliability during major events. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, mentioned that the platform was subjected to intense stress tests during a recent fight event that drew a peak of 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million within the U.S. Consequently, problems with outages were reported by approximately 85,000 viewers.

While it is feasible that viewership could reach comparable levels to those seen during the fight event, it may not be likely. The record for an exclusively streamed NFL game currently stands at 23 million, achieved on Peacock during last season’s AFC wild card game between the Dolphins and Chiefs. Nielsen will analyze ratings for the Christmas Day games, with initial results anticipated by Thursday afternoon.

Expectations for a surge in viewership likely hinge on moments leading up to both games, especially around 5:45 p.m. EST, which aligns with halftime of the Ravens-Texans match and a performance by Beyoncé.

In addition to musical performances, Mariah Carey is set to open the day with a pre-recorded rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” There is speculation about whether pop star Taylor Swift will be present in Pittsburgh to support her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, after she has spent time in Kansas City post her recent concert tour.

Looking ahead, the NFL plans to feature at least two games on December 25 in 2025 and 2026, with Netflix guaranteed to stream at least one each year. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Video will host a Christmas night game next year.

Regarding potential expansions, Netflix is also stepping into other sports, as evidenced by its forthcoming global partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment set to commence on January 6. Additionally, it has secured U.S. streaming rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the 2027 and 2031 tournaments.