A New Christmas Tradition: Netflix Set to Make NFL Debut

The debut of live NFL games on Netflix is almost here, as the streamer is now on the clock for its groundbreaking Christmas Day doubleheader.

Chiefs-Steelers (1 p.m. ET) and Ravens-Texans (4:30 p.m. ET) will mark the first game broadcasts on yet another NFL media-rights partner, and a pair of ultra-rare Wednesday matchups.

TV ratings success on Christmas Day in recent years pushed the NFL to think outside the box this spring as it crafted the 2024 regular-season schedule. Scheduling games on Wednesday wasn’t a guarantee, but once Netflix agreed to pay $150 million for two exclusive streams, the league went to work. Eventually, schedule-makers came up with what has now been dubbed the “NFL Holiday Remix,” as Week 16 included Texans-Chiefs and Steelers-Ravens on Saturday, allowing the four teams to play again just four days later on Christmas. They’ve all clinched playoff spots but are still fighting for seeding—and Patrick Mahomes remains in Kansas City’s starting lineup despite lingering injuries. 

NFL in the Queue

Netflix’s NFL deal is for three years, and in 2025, it will have some Christmas company from Amazon Prime Video, which will get a holiday game as part of its Thursday Night Football streaming package. 

Last season, CBS, Fox, and ABC had games as part of the NFL’s Christmas Day tripleheader, when the holiday fell on a Monday. Those games each averaged nearly 30 million viewers, so Netflix should be expecting big audiences. 

After buffering issues tainted Netflix’s live stream of last month’s Jake Paul–Mike Tyson boxing match, sources told Front Office Sports that the NFL took notice of the problems, but ultimately it stood by its new streaming partner.

But unlike the Paul-Tyson fight, which reported viewership numbers that some have questioned, Netflix’s NFL games will be tracked by Nielsen, which is the industry standard for TV ratings.

Netflix’s Top Picks

Aside from the star power on the field Wednesday—two multiple-time MVP winners (Mahomes, Lamar Jackson) and the reigning Rookie of the Year (C.J. Stroud)—Netflix is pulling out all the stops it can off the field, too.

The biggest headliner is Beyoncé, who will perform the halftime show during the Ravens-Texans game. The artist headlined the Super Bowl XLVII halftime show in 2013 and also appeared in the Super Bowl 50 halftime show in 2016 alongside Coldplay. Mariah Carey will also have a short performance before the first game kicks off.

Since Netflix doesn’t have a week-to-week NFL package, it struck deals to use on-air talent from multiple other league media partners, including Greg Olsen (Fox), Ian Eagle (CBS), Mina Kimes (ESPN), Ian Rapaport (NFL Network), and Devin McCourty (NBC), in addition to current free agents like Drew Brees and Robert Griffin III.