Streaming giant Netflix has now delivered the two most-streamed NFL American football games in US history, with almost 65 million viewers worldwide tuning in for its two-game Christmas Day coverage.
The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Houston Texans (4:30 pm Eastern Time) drew an average audience of 24.3 million, while the Kansas City Chiefs’ 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers (1 pm ET) attracted 24.1 million.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The two games averaged 26.5 million US viewers.
US viewership for the Ravens-Texans game peaked at over 27 million viewers for Beyoncé’s halftime show.
The Christmas Day fixtures also both averaged over 30 million viewers globally.
The NFL claims that viewers from 218 countries and territories around the world tuned into Netflix, with Ravens-Texans bringing in 31.3 million and Chiefs-Steelers drawing 30 million.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataThe Christmas Day games marked the first action of a three-season partnership with Netflix to broadcast NFL action on that public holiday.
Netflix’s NFL coverage was the streaming heavyweight’s biggest sports offering as it continues to step up its live rights showing.
The platform’s recent coverage of the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson bout, for example, drew over 60 million households of viewership.
In late December, Netflix secured the exclusive US rights to showcase the next two editions of soccer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and will begin streaming WWE’s weekly WWE Raw show on January 6 as part of a long-term global rights deal.
For the NFL, meanwhile, domestic TV coverage of the 2024 season has been provided by a combination of ESPN/ABC, Fox, NBC, and CBS (as well as NFL Network), with Amazon holding Thursday Night Football streaming rights.
Meanwhile, in its viewership battle with the NFL, basketball’s NBA delivered its most-watched Christmas Day action in five years.
The league averaged 5.25 million viewers per game in the US across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, Disney+, and ESPN+, an increase of 84% from last year.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 115-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors attracted the biggest audience, averaging 7.76 million viewers and peaking with 8.32 million.
It was the most-watched NBA regular season and Christmas Day game in five years and up 499% from the comparable window last year.
The New York Knicks’ 117-114 win over the San Antonio Spurs averaged 4.91 million viewers, making it the most-watched Christmas Day opener in 13 years and up 98% from the 2023-24 season.
All five Christmas Day games saw year-over-year viewership increases, including Philadelphia 76ers-Boston Celtics (5.16 million viewers, up 3%), Minnesota Timberwolves-Dallas Mavericks (4.38 million viewers, up 6%) and Denver Nuggets-Phoenix Suns (3.84 million viewers, up 161%).
Indeed, the Nuggets-Suns matchup was the most-watched game ever in the late slot on Christmas Day.
The NBA also generated more than 500 million video views across its social media platforms on Christmas Day – which set a record. In addition, the five-game slate generated the most-viewed Christmas Day ever on NBA League Pass.
