Netflix's first-ever NFL Christmas games drew record-breaking streaming audiences while falling short of last year's traditional broadcast numbers.
The streaming doubleheader averaged 24.2 million viewers according to Nielsen fast national ratings. The Baltimore Ravens victory over the Houston Texans pulled in 24.3 million viewers, while the Kansas City Chiefs win against the Pittsburgh Steelers attracted 24.1 million viewers.
These numbers represent the highest-ever viewership for streaming NFL games, surpassing the previous record of 23 million set by Peacock's AFC wild-card playoff broadcast in January. However, the Netflix games drew approximately 5 million fewer viewers than 2022's Christmas matchups on CBS and Fox, which averaged around 29 million viewers each.
A notable highlight was Beyoncé's halftime performance during the Ravens-Texans game, which peaked at 27 million viewers. Netflix reported that 65 million people watched at least one minute of their NFL presentation.
The NBA also saw strong Christmas Day numbers, with its five-game slate averaging 5.25 million viewers on ABC and ESPN - an 84% increase from 2022. The Los Angeles Lakers versus Golden State Warriors matchup led basketball viewership with 7.76 million viewers, marking the most-watched NBA regular season game since 2019.
"Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered," said Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer.
The NFL games were part of a new three-year agreement between Netflix and the NFL to stream games on Christmas Day, marking a shift in how major sports content is delivered to viewers during the holiday season.
The streaming platform plans to release worldwide viewing data next week, which will provide additional context when compared to other major sporting events on the platform.