NFL Netflix debut on Christmas Day: Glitch-free kickoff
Netflix made a smooth debut on Christmas Day with its NFL broadcast without any hiccups. Mariah Carey kicked off the doubleheader with her rendition of “All I Want for Christmas is You” before the Kansas City Chiefs took on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans faced the Baltimore Ravens.
The NFL games on Netflix are part of a three-year contract signed in May, marking a significant milestone for the streaming service. With 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries, Netflix is offering the games in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
While Netflix had some issues streaming the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight in November, with almost 85,000 viewers experiencing outages or streaming problems, the Christmas Day games went off without a hitch. Despite a minor mishap with the pregame show, the broadcast ran smoothly as viewers around the world tuned in.
Fans can also look forward to new programming on Netflix, such as the teaser trailer for “Happy Gilmore 2” featuring Adam Sandler, set to be released in 2025. Additionally, halftime of the Ravens-Texans game will feature a live performance by Beyoncé at NRG Stadium.
This isn’t the first time NFL games have been exclusively streamed, as Thursday night games are on Amazon Prime Video and Peacock streamed a game in Brazil earlier in the season. With NFL games now available on multiple streaming platforms, the accessibility for fans continues to grow.
As the NFL plays games on Christmas Day for the first time since 1971, the two matchups on Wednesday showcased some of the AFC’s top teams. The games are a new holiday tradition for football fans to enjoy with their families on this special day.
