Christmas marked a historic day for Netflix and the NFL, with nearly 65 million unduplicated U.S. viewers tuning in, according to Nielsen. The doubleheader games, Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans (24.3 million average minute audience) and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (24.1 million AMA), became the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history.
The Ravens-Texans game peaked during the highly anticipated Beyoncé Bowl halftime show, drawing over 27 million viewers, a record-breaking milestone for Christmas Day NFL games among adults aged 18-34, with 5.1 million viewers.
Global engagement soared, as #BeyonceBowl trended No. 1 worldwide on X, surpassing #Christmas itself. Netflix dominated U.S. trending topics, capturing 10 of the top 12 spots, and achieved top trends internationally, including No. 2 in Australia and No. 3 in the U.K.
The day’s programming, produced by CBS Sports and NFL Media, with EverWonder Studio as executive producer, demonstrated the power of the NFL-Netflix partnership. Additional global ratings will be released Dec. 31, shedding further light on the event’s monumental impact.
“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer. “We’re thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let’s please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey.”
“We’re thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution. “Fans in all 50 states and over 200 countries around the world watched some of the league’s brightest stars along with a dazzling performance by Beyoncé in a historic day for the NFL.”
Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday redefined holiday entertainment, with Beyoncé’s groundbreaking performance and record-setting games uniting audiences worldwide.
