The NFL did something different with its Christmas programming this year, teaming up with Netflix to stream a few unusually timed games on Wednesdays. A day later they announced the results.
Netflix reported an average of 24 million viewers during the games between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, then the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. In total, it claimed that 65 million viewers tuned in to at least part of the festivities.
The games are the two most streamed NFL games in US history, although their competition consists only of Amazon’s regular ‘Thursday Night Football’ games.
Netflix NFL Christmas Gameday was a record day, reaching 65 million American viewers according to Nielsen!
With an average of more than 24 million people watching each game, Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans are now the two most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history. pic.twitter.com/m3CVRv41sq
— Netflix (@netflix) December 26, 2024
For reference, last year’s NFL Christmas games, held on Mondays, averaged 29 million viewers across three games on CBS, Fox and ABC.
The NFL also reported some tidbits from Netflix about its previous game on Wednesday:
🚨#NFLonNetflix Statistics update🚨
– More than 200 countries have participated in Chiefs vs. Steelers
-Chiefs vs. Steelers is already the second most popular live title on Netflix to date
– Nearly 1/3 of Netflix’s Global Competitors are watching Chiefs vs. Steelers
-Netflix…
— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) December 25, 2024
Both matches had to achieve these figures against the headwind of a significant deficit for much of the match. The Chiefs never trailed in a 29-10 win over the Steelers, while the Ravens steamrolled the Texans in every phase of a 31-2 game.
Netflix did try to drum up broader interest in the second game with a Beyoncé halftime concert with production values ​​normally only seen in the Super Bowl halftime show. It’s unclear how high the numbers were when the star took the stage at NRG Stadium in Houston.
The NFL is trying to steal Christmas, and so far it has succeeded
As expected, the NFL’s numbers are significantly higher than those of the NBA, the previous owner of Christmas on the sports holiday calendar.
The NFL has been attempting a hostile takeover of that property since 2020, and the result has been clear wins in average viewership. Last year’s NBA slate drew just 2.85 million viewers, compared to the NFL’s 29 million.
This year was more successful, with an 84% increase to 5.25 million over five games, the most in the league in five years (read: when the NFL started doing this). Still, it’s hard to deny that the NFL is at least in the “presents loaded on the Grinch’s sleigh” phase of stealing Christmas from the NBA.
It’s also remarkable how much effort the NFL had to go to for a Wednesday Christmas this year, as it was necessary to have the four teams play on Saturday as well, just to give them four days of rest before taking the field again. Still, three games in eleven days is a lot to ask, but the NFL is clearly willing to do whatever it takes to make Christmas a Thanksgiving again, with the games baked into the typical family schedule.
