Netflix NFL Christmas Doubleheader Will Be Tracked by Nielsen

Netflix is looking to break new ground, both for itself and for the NFL, with its three-year deal to show Christmas Day games. In monetizing those events, though, the streaming giant is taking a much more conventional route. 

The company said Tuesday that it will work with Nielsen on live ratings for its upcoming Christmas 2024 games: a Chiefs-Steelers clash followed by a Ravens-Texans matchup in a doubleheader that includes four 2023 playoff teams all currently poised to make it back this season.

This is the same methodology that Amazon uses for audience measurement of its Thursday Night Football games—and is designed to provide advertisers with a greater sense of confidence that viewership is being tabulated in accordance with industry norms and can be compared more readily with game broadcasts on other networks. That Nielsen methodology was also recently expanded to include some first-party streaming data.

The Netflix Christmas Day doubleheader will feature rare NFL games played on a Wednesday and also marks a growing effort by the league to expand its presence on the holiday to more closely resemble the existing dominance on Thanksgiving. 

Bigger Picture

The work by Netflix with Nielsen, meanwhile, additionally highlights the fast-growing role of advertising and live events in the company’s overall business. In Netflix’s most recent quarterly earnings, ad-tier membership grew 35%, easily outpacing a broader 15% revenue lift, and the company said Tuesday that more than half of its new sign-ups in ad-supported countries are on a subscription tier with advertising. 

Not surprisingly, “all available in-game inventory” for the two Christmas Day NFL games is now sold out, and showcase packages were sold to FanDuel, which will be the games’ exclusive pregame sportsbook betting partner, and Verizon, which will be the kickoff sponsor. 

“There has been continuous momentum over the last two years, but we’re just getting started and can’t wait to see what’s to come,” Netflix president of advertising Amy Reinhard said Tuesday in a company blog post. 

The Christmas games aren’t the only NFL tentpole event to sell out early, as Super Bowl LIX in February, which will be shown on Fox, is also out of available inventory three months before the game.