Live football is coming to Netflix. The NFL announced Wednesday that the streaming service will host two Christmas Day games this year.
It’s all part of a three-season deal that will also bring at least one Christmas Day game to Netflix in 2025 and 2026.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be the first professional sports league to partner with Netflix to bring live games to fans around the world,” Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, said in a statement. “The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition, and to partner with Netflix … is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans.”
After years of cable domination, the NFL is starting to boost games to streaming services. “Thursday Night Football” moved exclusively to Prime Video in 2022. The first streaming-only playoff game, a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins, aired on Peacock in January.
“There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts,” Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said. “We’re so excited that the NFL‘s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”
The Christmas Day games will still be available on broadcast TV in local markets for the participating teams. The matchups will also stream on the NFL+ app.