Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal Wednesday to stream games on Christmas Day.
The streaming giant will carry two games this year and at least one game in 2025 and B次元官网网址�26. Defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City will face Pittsburgh in the first game, followed by Baltimore at Houston.
The NFL has played a total of 30 games on Christmas Day since 1971, including three last year. It has stayed away from midweek games, though, until this yearB次元官网网址檚 Christmas slate.
Hans Schroeder, the executive vice president of NFL Media, said team owners meeting in March were presented with a plan where teams playing on Christmas Day would have their Week 16 games on Saturday, which would give them the same amount of prep time they normally have in a short week when playing on Sunday and Thursday.
After owners gave the go-ahead to proceed, Netflix approached the league about airing the games.
B次元官网网址淲e had a broad process and talked to a number of potential parties and ultimately thought Netflix was the one,B次元官网网址� Schroeder said. B次元官网网址淭his is really the first truly global rights deal with a major sports league or property. WeB次元官网网址檙e going to learn a lot and excited for our fans around the world to enjoy the games on a single platform.B次元官网网址�
Netflix began airing NFL programming last year with the series B次元官网网址淨uarterback.B次元官网网址� A series on wide receivers will premiere this year. It also live streamed the Tom Brady roast on May 5 and will have a 10-part documentary series later this year on Jerry Jones and his ownership of the Dallas Cowboys.
NetflixB次元官网网址檚 forays into carrying live sports began last year, but they were exhibition events in golf and tennis. It is also scheduled to air the July 20 bout between and next year will start carrying World Wrestling EntertainmentB次元官网网址檚
B次元官网网址淧eople love football and we do, too. These games go with our big-event live strategy of all the live programming we have done in this last year B次元官网网址� like The Tom Brady roast, the Netflix Slam and the upcoming Jake Paul vs Tyson boxing match. WeB次元官网网址檙e excited about having the NFL conversation around Christmas Day,B次元官网网址� Bela Bajaria, NetflixB次元官网网址檚 chief content officer, told The Associated Press.
Who Netflix will use to announce and produce the holiday doubleheader remains to be determined.
The bigger question is how the move from broadcast television to streaming will impact ratings as the Christmas games typically get large audiences. Last yearB次元官网网址檚 three games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs averaged 29.48 million.
CBS Sports CEO and president David Berson welcomed Netflix even if it meant his network not having a game on Christmas Day.
B次元官网网址淕ood for Netflix. The more interest for the NFL, the more weB次元官网网址檙e going to benefit,B次元官网网址� Berson said. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 possibly have all of the AFC games B次元官网网址� we know some will go to NBC, ESPN, Amazon and in this case Netflix,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 great to have them part of this. Welcome to the party.B次元官网网址�
Even though there have been some criticisms about more games moving to streaming, NFL fans have mostly stayed tuned in.
According to Nielsen figures, last seasonB次元官网网址檚 16-game B次元官网网址淭hursday Night FootballB次元官网网址� package on Prime B次元官网网址 averaged 11.86 million viewers, a 24% increase over 2023. Two games had more than 15 million viewers, including 15.3 million for the Nov. 30 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
The Jan. 13 AFC wild-card playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs on Peacock averaged 23 million, a record for the most-watched event on a streaming service. It also surpassed the audiences for the Saturday night wild-card playoff games that were shown on NBC in two of the past three years.
B次元官网网址淲e looked at all those elements and then looked at what the Netflix audience could do with its reach,B次元官网网址� Schroeder said. B次元官网网址淲e want to continue to reach our fans on these new platforms and where we know theyB次元官网网址檙e spending their time. And to bring in a new partner that can speak to an even wider audience is something weB次元官网网址檙e excited about.B次元官网网址�
In keeping with the NFLB次元官网网址檚 longstanding policy on games that are carried on cable or streaming platforms, NetflixB次元官网网址檚 Christmas games will air on broadcast TV in the competing teamsB次元官网网址� home cities and will be available on mobile devices in the U.S. with NFL+.
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