Netflix made a promising debut as an NFL media partner with its Christmas Day livestream featuring the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers. The game kicked off at 1 p.m. ET, following two hours of pregame coverage, and was followed by the Baltimore Ravens against Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET. Beyoncé performed during halftime, further enhancing the festive atmosphere.
From the outset, Netflix appeared to handle the livestream without significant issues, as evidenced by minimal error reports on Downdetector, an uptime-monitoring service. The user-reported problems peaked at around 600 shortly after the Chiefs-Steelers game started, indicating that the day went smoothly for most viewers. Netflix executives must be relieved, as their recent experience with live sports—specifically the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight—was marked by technical challenges.
According to the NFL, over 200 countries tuned in for the Chiefs-Steelers livestream, making it Netflix’s second most popular live event to date, following the Paul-Tyson fight. At one point, nearly one-third of Netflix’s global concurrent users were watching the game, and it surpassed peak concurrent viewers of any NFL Christmas Day game in the past four years.
Despite the high viewership, there were some considerations regarding the games’ significance. Since all AFC teams in the doubleheader had already secured playoff spots, the outcomes mainly affected seeding. Additionally, the abundance of NBA games airing on Christmas Day provided viewers with other sports options.
The UFC event earlier this year had garnered significant attention, attracting an estimated 108 million average viewers globally, making it one of the most-watched live sporting events on Netflix. However, it faced numerous technical complaints, including freezing video feeds during the livestream. Following that event, a lawsuit was filed against Netflix, accusing the streaming service of making the event “unwatchable” due to the interruptions.
Under its agreement with the NFL, Netflix’s rights to livestream these holiday games last for three hours post-event in the U.S., while international viewers have 24 hours to catch the action. Both games have been scheduled for re-airing on NFL Network.
In a marketing move, Netflix featured ads during the livestreams, even for no-ads subscribers, promoting its upcoming programming such as “Squid Game” Season 2, “WWE Monday Night Raw,” and trailers for other shows.
Looking ahead, Netflix has secured rights for at least one holiday NFL game in both 2025 and 2026. They will also start livestreaming WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” weekly under a substantial 10-year deal beginning January 2025. Recently, Netflix also acquired exclusive U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup, further solidifying its commitment to live sports streaming.
Overall, Netflix’s successful Christmas Day livestream has set a positive precedent for its future as an NFL media partner, fostering enthusiasm for upcoming events and expansions into live programming.