NFL Ratings: Christmas doubleheader draws huge viewership for Netflix

Wednesday marked Netflix’s highly anticipated NFL Christmas doubleheader, and it turned into a ratings victory for the streaming giant. The figures are out for the two games, as well as Beyonce’s halftime show during the nightcap.

The Baltimore Ravens’ win over the Houston Texans drew the highest ratings, averaging 24.3 million viewers. That number peaked at 27 million during Beyonce’s halftime show, which also featured cameos from Shaboozey, Post Malone and her daughter, Blue Ivy.

Ravens vs. Texans came out just ahead of the first game of the day. The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers averaged 24.1 million viewers as Netflix kicked off its day of football. It resulted in the most-streamed games in NFL history, sealing a victory in the $150 million venture.

Pretty solid numbers for NFL debut on Netflix (Nielsen figures, fast national, U.S.-only).

24.3 million viewers for Ravens-Texans (peak 27 million for Beyoncé)

24.1 million for Chiefs-Steelers in early window

Xmas 2023: 3 games (broadcast TV) all b/w 27.6 and 29.2 million

— Austin Karp (@AustinKarp) December 26, 2024

Both games, however, drew less viewers than last year’s Christmas slate. All three games were between 27.6 million and 29.2 million viewers.

Netflix put together an impressive cast of analysts and announcers for its doubleheader. Ian Eagle, JJ Watt and Nate Burleson called the first game while Noah Eagle and Greg Olsen had the second half. In the studio, notable names such as Kay Adams, Robert Griffin III, Drew Brees, Mina Kimes and Manti Te’o were part of the coverage.

Of course, there were some questions about how things would go after the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight snafu. Users reported multiple issues with the broadcast, which still drew 74 million viewers, as Netflix previously said. However, the NFL doubleheader went well as the company rebounded.

Comparing NFL Christmas ratings to NBA

Wednesday’s ratings were a big topic of conversation as the NFL once again went up against the NBA on Christmas. In fact, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James added fuel to the fire after his team’s win over the Golden State Warriors.

“I love the NFL,” James said during his postgame interview on the ESPN broadcast. “But Christmas is our day.”

The NBA got off to a rough TV ratings start this year, but Christmas marked an impressive bounce-back despite going against the NFL. ESPN announced viewership was up 84% from last season, with Lakers vs. Warriors leading the charge. With 7.7 million viewers, it became the most-watched regular-season game since 2019.

ESPN and ABC’s Christmas showcase featured five games, starting with the San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks, which averaged 4.91 million viewers. The second game of the day between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks drew 4.38 million viewers, and the Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers brought in 5.16 million.

Lakers vs. Warriors was the featured game in the 8 p.m. ET window, and the nightcap featured the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets. With a 10:30 p.m. ET start, the matchup averaged 3.84 million viewers.

While the NFL stole the show with its TV ratings, it was still a big day for both the league and the NBA. The NFL’s partnership with Netflix is for three years, meaning this marked a strong debut for the streaming venture.