The Christmas Day NFL Doubleheader Breaks Streaming Viewership Record on Netflix (paraphrased)
Christmas Day NFL doubleheaders broke streaming records on Netflix. The first game, Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers, averaged an unprecedented 24.1 million viewers, breaking the record set by later game, Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans, which attracted 24.3 million viewers. All four teams are bound for the NFL postseason, commencing January 11.
Watching reached its peak during the second game's halftime show, with 27 million viewers tuning in to enjoy Beyoncé's performance. Netflix revealed that the doubleheader garnered an unduplicated audience of 65 million viewers. Additionally, the second game (Ravens vs. Texans) also sparked massive interest among adults aged 18-34, attracting 5.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched NFL game on Christmas Day since 2001.
Nielsen reported the average audience based on Live + Same Day data, incorporating out-of-home viewing, CBS local market viewing, mobile, and web data from Netflix and NFL+ mobile viewing from the NFL. More statistics will be unveiled on December 31.
Christmas Day games dominated social media conversations. #BeyonceBowl instantly became the world's top trending topic on social media when Beyoncé took the stage, replacing #Christmas. Tesla also dominated the U.S.'s top 12 trending topics, following Beyoncé's performance. #NFLonNetflix trended worldwide, reaching #2 in Australia, #3 in the U.K. and Germany, #5 in Brazil and France, #6 in the U.S., and so on.
Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, expressed his satisfaction with the first Christmas Day Gameday event, saying that fans worldwide delighted in watching their favorite stars and Beyoncé's dazzling performance in a historical NFL event.
Bela Bajara, Netflix Chief Content Officer, expressed gratitude for delivering this record-breaking day to members, praising their partnership with the NFL, on-air talent, and Beyoncé's performance.
Last month, Netflix live-streamed a boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, attracting 65 million households (38 million in the U.S.) and over 108 million global viewers. However, the event experienced buffering issues, leading to numerous subscriber complaints on social media. In contrast, the NFL doubleheader had minimal reported hiccups.
The previous streaming record for an NFL game was set in a wild card playoff game last January between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, which garnered an average audience of 23 million viewers on Peacock.
On December 5, the Detroit Lions versus Green Bay Packers game on Thursday Night Football averaged 17.3 million viewers on Prime Video, becoming the most-watched regular-season game streamed exclusively on Prime Video. The maximum viewing count was 18.9 million viewers at 9:15-9:30 p.m. (ET).
Prime Video's live coverage of Thursday Night Football has averaged 13.3 million viewers since the season began, posting a 12% increase from the entire 2021 season and a 39% increase from the inaugural 2022 season.
Four NFL Games on Christmas Day, across three broadcast networks, collectively attracted an average of 28.7 million viewers last year, ranking among the 20 most-watched telecasts of 2023.
The NFL doubleheader marked the fifth straight Christmas Day featuring at least one game, with the last two games scheduled on Christmas Day in 2017.
NFL Average Audience on Christmas Day 2020-2024 (all kickoff times are ET):
2024 (Wednesday)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Netflix 1 pm, 24.1 million viewers.Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans, Netflix 4:30 pm, 24.3 million viewers.
2023 (Monday)
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs, CBS/Nick 1 pm, 29.2 million viewers.Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants, Fox 4:30 pm, 29.0 million viewers.San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens, ABC 8:15 pm, 27.1 million viewers.
2022 (Sunday)
Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins, Fox 1 pm, 25.9 million viewers.Los Angeles Rams vs. Denver Broncos, CBS/Nick 4 pm, 22.6 million viewers.Tampa Bay Bucs vs. Arizona Cardinals, NBC 8 pm, 17.2 million viewers.
2021 (Saturday)
Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers, Fox/NFLN 4:30 pm, 28.6 million viewers.Indianapolis Colts vs. Arizona Cardinals, NFLN 8:15 pm, 12.6 million viewers.
2020 (Friday)
Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints, Fox/NFLN 4:30 pm, 20.9 million viewers.
According to Front Office Sports, Netflix took advantage of live sports events to promote its content during games. Prior to kickoff, spectators were treated to a sneak peek of the upcoming golf movie sequel, Happy Gilmore 2, starring Adam Sandler. The movie is set for release on Netflix in July of next year. The streaming giant also promoted WWE Raw, which is set to premiere on January 6. Advertisements for the science fiction adventure comedy-drama, The Electric State, which has a reported budget of $320 million, were also showcased. The film is set to debut in March.
Netflix has plans to broadcast at least one NFL game on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026. Interestingly, with Christmas falling on a Thursday next year, Prime Video is expected to stream a primetime game as well. Additionally, Prime Video will be broadcasting an early round playoff game next month.
ABC aired five NBA games on Christmas Day, with the most watched game being the Los Angeles Lakers versus Golden State Warriors, which attracted 7.8 million viewers, peaking at 8.3 million viewers at 10:30 (ET). This makes it the most watched NBA game on Christmas Day in five years. Notably, this game aired after Netflix's NFL doubleheader.
Netflix's NFL doubleheader featuring the Beyonće halftime show was also available on Prime Video, making it one of the most streamed NFL games on both platforms. In anticipation of the Christmas Day NFL games, Netflix promoted their upcoming golf movie sequel, 'Happy Gilmore 2', during the broadcasts.
Fans looking forward to next year's Christmas Day NFL games can stream at least one game on Netflix, as the streaming giant has plans to broadcast a game in 2025 and 2026. On the other hand, Prime Video is expected to stream a primetime game on Christmas Day 2023, as Christmas falls on a Thursday, and will also be broadcasting an early round playoff game next month.
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