Netflix has signed a three-season deal with the NFL to stream at least one holiday game each year. On December 25, 2024, Netflix will stream the two Christmas Day games: the Super Bowl LVII-winning Chiefs vs. the Steelers and the Ravens vs. the Texans. Previously this year, the streamer signed a more than $5 billion rights deal to be the exclusive home of World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW and live-streamed a tennis face-off between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in March.
“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports, and more,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to be the first professional sports league to partner with Netflix to bring live games to fans around the world,” added Hans Schroeder, NFL Executive Vice President of Media Distribution. “The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition and to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically this holiday, is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans.”
Netflix has been collaborating with the NFL for a couple of years, starting with the hit series "Quarterback" in 2023. This summer, "Receiver" is set to premiere on Netflix, following five of the NFL’s best pass catchers through their 2023 season both on and off the field: Davante Adams (Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), George Kittle and Deebo Samuel (49ers), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions).
The NFL initiated Yuletide games in 1971, reintroducing them on a semi-regular basis in 1989. Since 2020, these games have become a holiday staple, with last year’s three Christmas games ranking among the top 25 most-viewed TV programs of 2023. Notably, the Raiders vs. Chiefs match drew the highest Christmas Day viewership since 1988. In total, the NFL has staged 30 Christmas contests. In keeping with the NFL’s holiday tradition, the Netflix Christmas Day games will air on broadcast TV in the competing team cities and be available on US mobile devices via NFL+. The league has also released its complete 2024-2025 schedule.