Media

NFL inks deal with Netflix to stream Christmas Day games

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey in action during an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The National Football League (NFL) has reached an agreement with Netflix for the streaming service to provide games to fans on Christmas Day.

As part of the three-year deal, Netflix will stream both NFL games on Dec. 25, 2024, and “at least one holiday game” in 2025 and 2026, the league said.

The deal is the latest push by the streaming service into the world of live events as it looks to take legacy media companies head on for global audience share.

“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer, said in a statement.

“There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts,” Bajaria added. “We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”

Live sports continue to serve as the largest driver of audience for each of the nation’s leading media companies, with tech giants including Amazon entering the marketplace in a big way recently, vying for rights to stream NBA and MLB games.