Netflix is airing 2 NFL games on Christmas Day. Here's what to know

Updated Dec. 23, 2024 10:48 a.m. ET

Associated Press

Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time.

“NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in the second game.

The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May to carry Christmas Day games.

Where will the games be available?

Netflix’s 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries will be able to stream the games, marking the first time one outlet has distributed an NFL game globally. Netflix will have the games available in five languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.

The games will also air on CBS affiliates in Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston. NFL policy dictates that games on cable or being exclusively streamed must also be on an over-the-air station in the competing teams’ markets. It will also be available on mobile devices in the U.S. for those who have NFL+.

Why is the NFL putting Christmas Day games on a streaming platform?

The biggest reason is money. The league is getting $150 million from Netflix for the two games this season. It also continues the NFL’s moves into streaming — Thursday night games are in their third season on Amazon Prime Video and the “Sunday Ticket” package moved to YouTube TV last year.

But Christmas is on a Wednesday when games usually aren’t played.

That’s true, but the league wasn’t about to give up Christmas after seeing the ratings. Last year’s three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the way, averaging 29.48 million.

The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens and Texans played on Saturday, giving them the same turnaround they would have if they played on Sunday and then Thursday.

What is at stake for the teams playing?

All four have clinched playoff spots in the AFC, but seeding remains up for grabs.

Kansas City (14-1) can clinch the top seed — which would mean a first-round bye and home field throughout the playoffs — with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied atop the AFC North at 10-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker due to a better conference record.

Houston (9-6) has wrapped up the AFC South and holds the fourth seed.

Has Netflix fixed its streaming problems from the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight?

Netflix hopes so. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the system was stress tested, and then some, during the Nov. 14 bout, along with internet service providers reporting they were also overwhelmed by the surge that occurred before and during the fight.

The bout peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, including 38 million concurrent streams in the United States. According to the website Down Detector, nearly 85,000 viewers logged problems with outages or streaming leading up to and during the fight.

Could there be the same number streaming the games that there were during the fight?

Possible? Yes. Likely? No.

The largest audience for a streamed-exclusive NFL game was 23 million on Peacock for last season’s AFC wild-card game between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs.

Nielsen will measure the ratings for the Christmas Day games, with early numbers expected late afternoon on Thursday.

When could there be surge in demand on Wednesday?

It will probably beat kickoff for both games, but especially around 5:45 p.m. EST. That would be near halftime of the Ravens-Texans game, and when Beyoncé will be performing.

What other celebrities will appear?

Mariah Carey will kick off the day with a taped performance of “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

There is no word if Taylor Swift will make the trip to Pittsburgh to watch her boyfriend, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift has been spending time in Kansas City since she wrapped up her Eras Tour two weeks ago.

How many Christmas games will Netflix carry in the next two seasons?

The NFL will have at least two games on Dec. 25 in 2025 and ’26, with Netflix slated to have at least one each year. Amazon Prime Video will have a night game with Christmas on a Thursday next year.