Back in 2024, Netflix won the rights to live-stream NFL games on Christmas Day. In their first year of streaming the popular holiday games, it drew an average of 26.5 million viewers. In 2025, the two games Netflix aired on Christmas Day made history with how many viewers it drew.
According to the streaming service’s own website, “its second game, the Lions-Vikings, became the most-streamed NFL game in US history with an average of 27.5 million viewers in the US, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.”
What is more, Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party that aired during the Lions-Vikings game averaged 29 million viewers.
And 2026 could see even more recording-breaking numbers, as online sports betting is sure to increase interest in the Christmas games even more considering how intense the matchups will be.
Why Netflix is primed for more Christmas NFL game viewership records
Last year’s matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings was the highest-streamed NFL game in history. Of course, it was a showdown against fierce rivals in the NFC North. However, both the Lions and Vikings had a down year in 2025 and each finished the season 8-9.
Still, two under-performing teams were able to turn the Christmas Day game into an event that drew an historic number of streams. It stands to reason, then, that this year’s matchup will be even more popular among fans.
As part of their long agreement, which runs through 2030, Netflix is going to live-stream the second meeting between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, two of the oldest and most bitter rivals in sports history. Last season, the two teams split the season series between themselves, but Chicago knocked Green Bay out of the NFL Playoffs with a thrilling come-from-behind victory. They had trailed 21-3 at one point.
With the Bears and Packers playing at noon on Christmas Day, one can be sure that they will threaten to break the viewership record from last year. According to The Athletic, the Wild Card matchup between Green Bay and Chicago drew 31.61 million viewers on average on Amazon Prime, making it the new highest-streamed NFL game in history.
While this year’s Christmas Day NFL games do not fall during the postseason, they do occur late enough in the year where they could have huge implications on postseason seeding. As such, it will likely have even more intensity surrounding it than usual, setting the game up for the possibility of setting records once again.
