NFL Christmas games on Netflix set streaming records

Field Level Media|published: Thu 26th December, 20:07 2024

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (left) and tight end Travis Kelce (right) open their Netflix Christmas GameDay cake after the Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Despite blowouts in both Christmas Day games, Netflix drew a record audience of nearly 65 million total streaming viewers in the United States for the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchups, according to Nielsen on Thursday.

The early-afternoon matchup, featuring the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs rolling to a 29-10 victory at the Steelers, drew an average of 24.1 million viewers, per Nielsen, while the late-afternoon showdown between the Ravens and Texans -- a 31-2 Ravens rout -- topped the earlier stream with 24.3 million viewers.

Per Nielsen, they were the two most streamed NFL games in U.S. history, with Ravens-Texans peaking at more than 27 million for Beyonce's halftime performance.

Compared to last year's Christmas Day tripleheader broadcast with CBS, ABC and Fox each showing one game, this year's doubleheader didn't experience a noteworthy decline. In the first of a three-season Christmas Day partnership with the NFL, Netflix drew an average of 24.2 million viewers, compared to 28.68 million viewers in 2023.

Among viewers ages 18-34, Ravens-Texans was the most-watched Christmas Day game on record with 5.1 million viewers in the U.S.

"Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered," Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. "We're thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let's please not forget the electrifying Beyonce and the brilliant Mariah Carey."

--Field Level Media