NFL Breaks Streaming Record With Christmas Day Games On Netflix

The NFL’s Christmas Day games on Netflix set a record as the most streamed games in NFL history with around 24 million people tuning in for each game, Axios reported.

The NFL’s Christmas doubleheader kicked off with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, which drew 24.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen. A Netflix spokesman told Axios that around one-third of the streaming service’s global concurrent viewers were watching the game at one point, which made the Chiefs-Steelers game the most-watched concurrent stream of the past four years for Netflix.

Later in the day on Wednesday, the game between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens had an average audience of 24.3 million viewers. According to Nielsen figures dating back to 2001, the Texans-Ravens game was the most-watched Christmas Day game for the coveted 18-34-year-old demographic. The game’s viewership peaked at 27 million when Beyonce took the stage to perform at halftime.

Both Christmas Day games drew more viewers than the 2023 AFC wild card matchup between the Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, which streamed on Peacock. Combined, both NFL Christmas Day games — along with pre-game shows and Beyonce’s halftime performance — drew in around 65 million people, the Associated Press reported. The successful NFL streams on Netflix came a month after the streaming giant was criticized during the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight when many viewers complained about the stream freezing and buffering.

50% OFF ALL DAILY WIRE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS FOR A LIMITED TIME!

The NBA, which has scheduled games on Christmas Day for decades, saw a bump in viewership on Wednesday, but its numbers came nowhere close to the NFL’s. The NBA, which broadcasted its games on ABC and ESPN, averaged around 5 million viewers for its five-game Christmas Day slate. This year’s Christmas Day NBA games saw an 84% rise in viewership compared to last year.

Following the Los Angeles Lakers win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, LeBron James quipped, “I love the NFL, but Christmas is our day.”

NFL Media Executive Vice President Hans Schroeder responded to James’ comment, saying, “The numbers speak for themselves and LeBron can have his own view, and I’m sure more people will look at that because of this.”

“But, you know, we’re focused on the NFL and we’re thrilled with the results this year with the Christmas on Netflix and we’re excited to continue to build that over the next couple of years,” Schroeder added.