Netflix has a special holiday treat for NFL fans worldwide. On December 25, 2024, Netflix will become the global streaming home for the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games. This is part of a three-season deal, ensuring at least one holiday game each year on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026 as well.
Netflix and the NFL: A Growing Partnership
Netflix’s relationship with the NFL began with the hit series “Quarterback” in 2023. This summer, the streaming giant will premiere “Receiver”, a series that follows five of the NFL’s top pass catchers—Davante Adams (Las Vegas Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers), Deebo Samuel (San Francisco 49ers), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Detroit Lions)—through their 2023 season, both on and off the field.
“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live—tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports, and more,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer. “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.”
Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, added, “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. 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.”
The Anticipated Christmas Day Games
While the specific teams playing on Christmas Day 2024 have not yet been announced, the NFL will reveal its full 2024 schedule tonight. The Christmas Day matchups will be unveiled on NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL App, and NFL+ at 8 p.m. ET. Fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement to see which teams will compete on this festive day.
A Holiday Tradition
The NFL first introduced Christmas Day games in 1971, bringing them back on a semi-regular basis in 1989. Since 2020, these games have become a holiday staple. Last year’s three Christmas games ranked among the top 25 most viewed TV programs of 2023, with the Raiders versus Chiefs match drawing the highest Christmas Day viewership since 1988, partially thanks to notable attendees like Taylor Swift and Santa Claus. In total, the NFL has staged 30 Christmas contests.
In keeping with the NFL’s long-standing holiday tradition, the Netflix Christmas Day games will also air on broadcast TV in the competing team cities and be available on U.S. mobile devices with NFL+.
This exciting partnership between Netflix and the NFL is set to bring the festive cheer of football to fans worldwide, making the holiday season even more special.
