Netflix breaks streaming record with Christmas NFL games

The two NFL games streamed Christmas Day on Netflix received about 24 million viewers each, the company said.

The streaming platform showcased the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers, with a prerecorded Mariah Carey song airing ahead of the game, and the Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans with a feature halftime performance from Beyoncé.

Both games set records as the most-streamed NFL games in history, and Netflix said the second game of the Christmas doubleheader, Ravens-Texans, was the most-watched Christmas Day game on record among viewers aged 18 to 34 with 5.1 million U.S. viewers based on Nielsen records dating back to 2001.

Viewership peaked at more than 27 million during Beyoncé’s halftime performance of her newest album “Cowboy Carter,” which wooed a Houston holiday crowd filled with music and football fans alike. The hashtag BeyoncéBowl skyrocketed on social platform X.

“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement.

“We’re thankful for our partnership with the NFL, all of our wonderful on-air talent, and let’s please not forget the electrifying Beyoncé and the brilliant Mariah Carey,” she added.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, made big plays at the Texans’ home field and broke the league’s career rushing record for quarterbacks, outpacing Michael Vick.

All four teams that played on Christmas will advance to the playoffs in the AFC. The Chiefs, who have won the past two Super Bowls, have clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference and earned a first-round bye.

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