Netflix made history on Christmas Day 2024 with its inaugural live broadcast of NFL games, setting a new standard for streaming viewership. The event averaged over 24 million viewers per game in the United States, a groundbreaking achievement for live sports on a digital platform.
The day featured two highly anticipated matchups: the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Baltimore Ravens competing against the Houston Texans.
Unmatched Viewership Numbers
The first game saw the Kansas City Chiefs claim a decisive 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, drawing an average audience of 24.1 million viewers. In the second game, the Baltimore Ravens dominated the Houston Texans with a 31-2 win, slightly surpassing the earlier game’s audience with 24.3 million viewers.
Adding to the spectacle, Beyoncé’s halftime performance during the Ravens-Texans game captivated over 27 million viewers, marking the event’s peak viewership and highlighting the integration of entertainment into live sports.
A New Benchmark for Streaming
These numbers eclipsed previous streaming records for NFL games, including the milestone set by Peacock’s January playoff broadcast. While the majority of viewers tuned in through Netflix, additional audiences accessed the games via local television broadcasts and the NFL+ service, underscoring the growing diversity of media consumption options.
Netflix’s Strategic Expansion
This venture into live sports is part of a three-year agreement between Netflix and the NFL, reflecting Netflix’s broader strategy to diversify its content offerings and strengthen its advertising revenue streams. The seamless execution of these broadcasts, without major technical disruptions, represents a pivotal achievement for the platform, especially following earlier challenges with live events.
Implications for the Future of Sports Media
Industry experts anticipate that incorporating international viewership data could push the total audience per game to nearly 30 million. This achievement underscores not only the enduring appeal of the NFL but also the shifting dynamics of sports media. Streaming platforms are increasingly central to how global audiences engage with live sports.
As Netflix and its competitors continue to invest in live sports streaming, the success of the Christmas Day games serves as a case study in the transformative potential of this medium. It highlights the ability of digital platforms to deliver high-quality, widely accessible sports entertainment, reshaping the traditional boundaries of sports broadcasting.