65 million viewers tuned in to watch a pair of NFL games on Netflix on Christmas Day, setting streaming records. The matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers drew an average of 24.1 million viewers, while the Baltimore Ravens’ victory over the Houston Texans averaged 24.3 million viewers. These games were the most streamed NFL games in U.S. history according to Nielsen and the NFL. The Ravens-Texans game saw a spike in viewership during the halftime show, which featured a performance by Beyoncé, with more than 27 million viewers.
The NFL expressed excitement over the Christmas Day viewership numbers, with Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, stating that fans from all 50 states and over 200 countries watched some of the league’s top players as well as Beyoncé’s performance. Netflix and the NFL have a three-season partnership to broadcast Christmas games, as announced by Netflix. Despite setting streaming records, the holiday football matchups were not the biggest sporting event on Netflix in recent weeks. In a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, over 60 million viewers tuned in.
Comparing the Christmas Day viewership to the Super Bowl, the biggest game of the year, there is a significant difference in numbers. Last season’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers drew 123.4 million viewers when it was shown on CBS, the NFL Network, Univision, Paramount+, NFL+, and ViX, a Spanish-language streaming service. CBS declared that the Super Bowl was the most-watched telecast in history, surpassing the 2023 Super Bowl between the Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, which attracted 115 million total viewers. Despite the lower viewership compared to the Super Bowl, the Christmas Day NFL games on Netflix still delivered impressive numbers.
The partnership between Netflix and the NFL has proven to be successful in bringing in a large viewership for the Christmas Day games. Both parties were pleased with the record-breaking streaming numbers and the global reach of the content, with viewers from across the world tuning in to watch the games and Beyoncé’s halftime performance. The popularity of live sports on streaming platforms continues to grow, as evident from the significant viewership numbers for the NFL games on Netflix.
The success of the NFL games on Netflix demonstrates the potential for sports content to attract a large audience on streaming platforms. As more viewers turn to digital streaming for their entertainment needs, partnerships between sports leagues and streaming services will likely become more prevalent. The NFL’s collaboration with Netflix for Christmas Day games has set a new standard for streaming sports events and highlights the continued evolution of the sports broadcasting landscape. With the increasing demand for live sports content, streaming platforms like Netflix are well-positioned to capitalize on this trend and cater to a global audience of sports fans.
Overall, the record-breaking viewership numbers for the NFL games on Netflix on Christmas Day underscore the growing popularity of live sports content on streaming platforms. The success of the partnership between Netflix and the NFL in broadcasting the games highlights the potential for sports leagues to reach a global audience through digital streaming services. As viewers continue to shift towards online platforms for their entertainment consumption, collaborations between sports organizations and streaming services are expected to play a significant role in the future of sports broadcasting. The Christmas Day NFL games on Netflix have set a new benchmark for streaming sports events, paving the way for more innovative partnerships in the evolving landscape of sports media.
