Netflix’s inaugural foray into broadcasting NFL games on Christmas Day has garnered positive reviews and achieved record-breaking streaming numbers, though the viewership did not reach the heights seen in last year’s traditional broadcasts.
The streaming service, having secured a three-year deal reportedly costing $150 million annually, sparked excitement in the sports broadcasting sector, signaling Netflix’s long-awaited entry into the American sports market. Previously, Netflix had only ventured into live sports with one-off events like tennis and golf, and a contentious boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which was marred by streaming issues.
However, the NFL games, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans, experienced minimal technical glitches, providing a smooth viewing experience for fans. The broadcasts leveraged CBS’s on-screen talent but were enhanced with a Super Bowl-like atmosphere, highlighted by a halftime show from Beyoncé during the Houston game.
According to Nielsen, the peak audience during these games reached 27 million viewers, courtesy of Beyoncé’s performance. The Ravens-Texans game averaged 24.3 million viewers per minute, while the Chiefs-Steelers game saw 24.1 million, setting a new domestic streaming record for NFL games, surpassing the previous high of 23 million from a playoff game on NBC’s Peacock.
Despite these impressive numbers, they didn’t match the viewership of last year’s Christmas games on linear TV, where the Raiders-Chiefs game on CBS attracted 29.2 million viewers. Sports business analyst Joe Pompliano noted in his ‘Huddle Up’ newsletter that this was still a commendable outcome given the shift from traditional to streaming platforms.
“The NFL received $150 million from Netflix, significantly more than the cable networks would have paid for the same two games. And it also served as a good test of whether the NFL should include Netflix when renegotiating its next media rights deal,” Pompliano stated.
The potential for Netflix to engage in bidding wars with both traditional broadcasters and other streaming platforms has been a point of interest for sports leagues aiming to maximize rights revenue. While Netflix has not yet committed to season-long sports rights, it recently secured the U.S. broadcasting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031.
Netflix plans to release international viewership statistics for these NFL games on December 31. Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, expressed enthusiasm about this new venture, stating, “We’re thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience.”
In comparison, traditional Christmas Day sports in the USA, dominated by NBA basketball, saw significantly lower viewership on linear television, with an average of 5.25 million viewers across five games.
Key Points
Netflix’s NFL Debut: Netflix broadcast NFL games for the first time on Christmas Day, achieving positive reviews and record streaming ratings.
Viewership Numbers: The games peaked at 27 million viewers during Beyoncé’s halftime performance, with an average viewership of 24.3 million for Ravens-Texans and 24.1 million for Chiefs-Steelers.
Comparison with Traditional TV: Despite setting streaming records, the viewership was lower than the previous year’s linear TV broadcasts, with last year’s Raiders-Chiefs game drawing 29.2 million viewers.
Streaming vs. Linear: This was seen as a successful experiment for the NFL, showcasing streaming’s potential while still not surpassing traditional TV viewership.
Financial Impact: Netflix paid $150 million per year for a three-year deal, significantly more than traditional networks would have paid for similar slots.
Global Reach: The games were streamed internationally, with global viewership data to be released later.
Technical Performance: Unlike previous live sports events on Netflix, the NFL broadcasts had few reported issues, contrasting with the buffering problems during the Tyson-Paul boxing match.
Future Implications: The success hints at Netflix potentially bidding for more sports rights, though they have not yet committed to season-long sports broadcasting. They did secure rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for 2027 and 2031.
NBA Comparison: On the same day, NBA games on linear TV averaged much lower viewership at 5.25 million per game.
