As a longtime fan of both football and Beyoncé, I must say that Netflix truly outdid themselves with their “NFL Christmas Gameday Live” stunt. The fact that they managed to draw in broadcast network-level audiences in the U.S., not to mention subscribers from over 200 countries, is nothing short of impressive.
In fact, people from beyond the U.S. also showed great interest in watching live football matches and Beyoncé’s performance on Netflix.
On Christmas Day, the streamer’s grand “NFL Christmas Gameday Live” event attracted an audience comparable to a broadcast network in the U.S. Additionally, it piqued the curiosity of subscribers across over 200 countries, who tuned in for various segments of the approximately nine-hour broadcast. The event began with the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Baltimore Ravens versus the Houston Texans. At halftime of the latter matchup, Beyoncé, a renowned singer from Houston, delivered a brief performance of songs from her “Cowboy Carter” album. This highly anticipated performance by Queen Bey served to highlight that the games were being streamed on Netflix — marking its first foray into NFL live game streaming — and to draw in more casual viewers to the streamer’s festive Christmas Day lineup. Mariah Carey initiated the first game with a rendition of her classic holiday tune, “All I Want for Christmas.
The game between the Ravens and Texans, according to Netflix’s reference to Nielsen measurements, drew an average viewership of 24.3 million, slightly surpassing the 24.1 million viewers for the earlier matchup between the Chiefs and Steelers. These numbers are impressive for Netflix’s debut event, and they typically fall within the higher spectrum of what major networks like CBS, Fox, NBC, or ESPN might expect with a highly anticipated NFL or college football game. It’s important to note that these figures do not account for the entirety of Netflix’s coverage, which extended from pre-game analysis at 11 am ET to post-game analysis following the Ravens’ 31-2 win over the Texans. The reigning champions, the Chiefs, dominated the Steelers with a final score of 29-10.
On this remarkable day when we offered our members two unprecedented NFL games, it felt like the ultimate holiday present,” expressed Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of content. “We’re incredibly grateful for our collaboration with the NFL, our exceptional broadcasting talents, and let’s not forget to acknowledge the sensational Beyoncé and the gifted Mariah Carey.
During the peak of the Chiefs-Steelers match, it was revealed that one-third of Netflix’s U.S. subscribers were tuning in to the broadcast, according to Netflix. Throughout the day, Netflix provided a continuous flow of trailers, sneak peeks, and promotional videos for an assortment of upcoming series and films. This ranged from the anticipated sequel “Happy Gilmore 2” to the highly-anticipated second season of “Squid Game,” which was officially released on December 26th.
Hans Schroeder, an NFL executive vice president of media distribution, expressed excitement about our inaugural Christmas Gameday on Netflix. This event marked the first time NFL games were streamed globally, reaching fans in every U.S. state and more than 200 countries worldwide. Not only did viewers get to witness some of the league’s top talents, but they were also treated to an extraordinary performance by Beyoncé, making it a memorable and historic day for the NFL.
Netflix has invested $150 million to broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day for the next three years. This deal ensures that Netflix will receive at least two games during the first year, followed by one game each in 2025 and 2026. However, this move could be risky for the NFL as it may face backlash from devoted football fans who don’t have access to Netflix. This sentiment was expressed widely on social media during a daylong telecast on Wednesday. Nevertheless, Netflix managed to handle eight hours or more of live game coverage, along with pre-and post-game shows, without any significant technical issues, which is a success for the streaming service.
Netflix is gradually focusing more on live sports and events, adjusting its business model and emphasizing sponsorship agreements for its ad-supported tier. Meanwhile, Netflix provides the National Football League (NFL) with simple, consistent access to premium TV audiences worldwide through a single move. The NFL has been actively working to increase the popularity of American football in Europe, Latin America, and other significant regions. Over the past few years, they’ve organized regular-season games in cities such as London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico City, and Toronto.
Comparing the viewership for Netflix’s Wednesday broadcast to other NFL games on traditional networks like NBCUniversal can be challenging due to the worldwide scope of Netflix’s platform and subscriber base. Last year, Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service, attracted approximately 10 million viewers with its exclusive December 23 telecast of a Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Chargers game, which was aired on a Saturday night and received less promotion than Netflix’s event.
More to come
In the image above, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce from the Kansas City Chiefs are seen conversing with Stacey Dales of NFL Network following their 29-10 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 25.
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2024-12-27 02:46