Beyoncé Steals the Show at Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day Debut
Beyoncé’s electrifying halftime performance overshadowed the action on the field during Netflix’s inaugural Christmas Day NFL broadcast. Making a dramatic entrance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner treated her Houston hometown crowd to a nearly 13-minute spectacle on Wednesday. Surprise appearances by Shaboozey, performing “Sweet Honey Buckiin,” and Post Malone, joining her for “Levii’s Jeans,” further enhanced the already spectacular show.
In contrast, the games themselves, featuring four of the AFC’s top five teams, failed to meet expectations. The Kansas City Chiefs dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10 in the first game, with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce exposing vulnerabilities in Pittsburgh’s defense. The Baltimore Ravens also secured a comfortable 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans, with Lamar Jackson leading the charge before taking a rest in the fourth quarter. Despite the less-than-thrilling on-field action, Mariah Carey’s pre-game taped performance of “All I Want for Christmas is You” added festive cheer to the doubleheader.
Netflix’s broadcast itself ran smoothly, quickly becoming the second-most popular live title on the platform to date, according to NFL Media. While the pregame show experienced a brief technical hiccup—a ten-second silence due to a muted microphone—Beyoncé’s performance at NRG Stadium proved to be the ultimate test for the streaming giant, which it passed without a hitch. The broadcast, available in five languages, reached viewers in nearly 200 countries, marking the first time an NFL game had global distribution from a single outlet.
Mahomes’ impressive 320-yard, three-touchdown performance, alongside Kelce’s contributions, secured the Chiefs the number one seed in the AFC playoffs. Meanwhile, the Ravens’ win propelled them to first place in the AFC North. The Steelers, losers of three consecutive games, may have to settle for a wild-card spot. The broadcast also incorporated Netflix’s own promotions, including the first teaser trailer for “Happy Gilmore 2.”
Despite past streaming issues with events like the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, Netflix experienced significantly fewer complaints during the NFL broadcast. NFL Media reported that viewers from all 50 states tuned in within minutes of the pregame show, with Netflix exceeding its peak concurrent viewers for Christmas in the past four years.
The NFL’s decision to schedule two games on a Wednesday to accommodate its $150 million deal with Netflix marked a departure from tradition, with the league avoiding Christmas Day games for many years and only previously playing Wednesday games on rare occasions due to exceptional circumstances. The success of this venture continues the growing trend of NFL games on streaming services, following Amazon Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football and YouTube TV’s acquisition of “Sunday Ticket.” The largest audience for a streamed-exclusive NFL game remains at 23 million, set by Peacock last season.