NFL fans are getting a special Christmas present this year, thanks to Netflix.
The streaming platform announced on Sunday, October 20, that two games will be played live on December 25. The Kansas City Chiefs are set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. ET while the Baltimore Ravens will face off against the Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET on the holiday.
In the video shared via YouTube on Sunday, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce exclaimed, “What a day for some football, baby!” The clip continued with game-time moments with the teams, set to the track “Feliz Navidad.”
“For the first time ever, the NFL is on Netflix,” the text over the video read. “Huddle up for a new tradition.”
The NFL is LIVE on Netflix. This Christmas!
Wednesday December 25
Chiefs vs. Steelers at 1 PM ET
Ravens vs. Texans at 4:30 PM ET pic.twitter.com/gl7nN57CnL— Netflix (@netflix) October 20, 2024
This Christmas will not be the only time fans will turn to Netflix to watch the holiday game. Per the announcement on Sunday, Netflix will also be streaming at least one Christmas game in 2025 and 2026 as part of a three-season deal.
“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports, and more,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in the press release. “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, NFL 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 NFL kicked off their Yuletide games in 1971, returning semi-regularly in 1989. Last year’s three Christmas games were ranked “among the top 25 most-viewed TV programs of 2023” and “drew the highest Christmas Day viewership since 1988,” according to the press release. The NFL has held 30 Christmas contests to date.
NFL fans will need to subscribe or log in to a Netflix account to watch live on December 25. The games will also air on broadcast TV in competing team cities and will be available on US mobile devices with NFL+.
