NFL Doubles Down on Christmas Day Games in 2025 After Netflix Debut Last Season

Netflix broadcast its first-ever NFL games on the holiday in 2024, and pulled in impressive ratings with its doubleheader.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (middle) and tight end Travis Kelce (right) open their Netflix Christmas GameDay cake after the Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The NFL found great success with its bold decision to add a pair of Christmas Day games—both broadcast live on Netflix, a first for the streamer—to the 2024 schedule. So it comes as no surprise that the league will do so once again this year, with a third game to be broadcast as part of Amazon's Thursday Night Football package.

Sports media insider John Ourand of Puck first reported that Netflix will once again broadcast the football double-header in 2025. The decision was likely a no-brainer, as last year's Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans games each topped an impressive 24 million viewers.

Netflix then further upped the ante with Beyoncé putting on a Super Bowl-caliber halftime show in her hometown of Houston.

so the NFL is indeed taking Christmas from the NBA

the NFL is planning a Christmas TRIPLEHEADER this year (a Thursday) after the success of last year's 2-game Christmas slate:

Game 1: Netflix
Game 2: Netflix
Game 3: Amazon

last year's viewership domination:

24.1M - Chiefs v…

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 1, 2025

For years, Christmas Day has served as a jumping-off point for the NBA regular season, with wall-to-wall games on ABC and ESPN. The NFL's decision to add games last year, twisting its schedule around to play on a Wednesday, was a shot across basketball's bow.

Now, Monday's scheduling news shows that the NFL on Christmas is here to stay, as long as there are strong ratings to be had.

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