<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ellen-degeneres-announces-shes-returning-to-netflix-for-final-special" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a> announced on Wednesday that it would air not one, but two NFL games on its streaming site on Christmas Day this year, a first ever for the company.
The worldwide streaming site signed a three-season deal with the National Football League that will not only include the two games on Christmas Day during the 2024 NFL regular season, but also at least one game on the holiday each of the next two years, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40151890/netflix-broadcast-two-christmas-nfl-games-2024">ESPN</a> reported.
&#8220;The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition and to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically this holiday, is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans,&#8221; Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, said in a statement to the outlet.
“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more,” Bela Bejaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/business/media/netflix-nfl-live.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to The New York Times. “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences N.F.L. football attracts.”
The matchups for this year’s Christmas games have yet to be revealed, with teams set to release their 2024 NFL regular schedules on Wednesday 8 p.m. (ET).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You can’t spell Netflix without “NFL”
Netflix will be the home to watch the NFL’s 2024 Christmas Day games LIVE! <a href="https://t.co/uzZVLUhNjt">https://t.co/uzZVLUhNjt</a> <a href="https://t.co/BIy8FUV5NW">pic.twitter.com/BIy8FUV5NW</a>
— Netflix (@netflix) <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1790743961545413027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
This will be the first time the streaming site has partnered with the NFL or any major sports league, and it is hard to see how it would be the last. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell previously talked about the league turning to streaming as it grows in popularity.
“Our fans are on these platforms,” Mr. Goodell told reporters during the week of the Super Bowl. “Our fans want to access them. The technology is extraordinary. You can do things on some of these platforms that you can’t do on the linear platform. For us, it’s part of the future.”
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More streaming sites may be looking to live coverage to increase subscriptions after the NFL granted NBCUniversal exclusive rights to air a 2023 AFC Wild Card Game in January on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/peacock">Peacock</a>.
It was a huge success for the streaming site after it generated an average of 23 million viewers, making it “the most streamed live event in U.S. history,” the Times noted.
“Our entire company worked seamlessly to plan for this game and executed flawlessly to deliver a streaming experience with the NFL on a scale that’s never been done before,” Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of NBC parent Comcast, previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/paywalled-chiefs-dolphins-wild-card-game-sets-streaming-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s a very proud moment.”
At the time, Goodell said, “We couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with Peacock and are thrilled with the results of the first-ever exclusively live streamed NFL playoff game.”

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NBC and the NFL&#8217;s gamble to make the first-ever paywalled wild-card game on the Peacock Network appears to have paid off after setting a new streaming record.
The Kansas City Chiefs 26-7 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/chiefs-dolphins-nfl-wild-card-game-peacock-streaming-record-1235788026/">averaged 23 million viewers</a> on Peacock, local NBC broadcasts in the teams&#8217; home markets, and on the NFL+ mobile app, according to custom fast national data from Nielsen. The <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/chiefs-and-dolphins-play-4th-coldest-game-in-nfl-history-as-deep-freeze-sweeps-the-u-s#:~:text=KANSAS%20CITY%2C%20Mo.,snow%20pants%20and%20ski%20goggles.">fourth-coldest NFL game</a> ever was the most streamed live event in U.S. history, according to NBC Sports.
&#8220;Our entire company worked seamlessly to plan for this game and executed flawlessly to deliver a streaming experience with the NFL on a scale that&#8217;s never been done before,&#8221; Brian Roberts, chairman and CEO of NBC parent Comcast, said. &#8220;It&#8217;s a very proud moment.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NBC celebrates the Peacock game, calling it the &#8220;most streamed event ever&#8221; with 23 million viewers and thanking Roger Goodell and the NFL.
Mike Tirico calls it &#8220;A milestone moment in media and sports history.&#8221;
NBC also thanks you for your subscription fee. <a href="https://t.co/WGJQMRzVP2">pic.twitter.com/WGJQMRzVP2</a>
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1746728117199065465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, &#8220;We couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with Peacock and are thrilled with the results of the first-ever exclusively live streamed NFL playoff game.&#8221;
&#8220;To best serve our fans, we need to ensure games are available to them as their viewing habits change and this includes digital distribution as we continue to help shape the future of the sports and entertainment industry,&#8221; he added.
Last year&#8217;s AFC Wild Card game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars averaged 20.61 million viewers for the network broadcast and 21.8 million across all platforms, The Hollywood Reporter noted. Peacock has about 30 million paid subscribers, per NBC.
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The previous streaming-exclusive record (plus affiliate broadcasts in home markets) was set with the &#8220;Thursday Night Football&#8221; game on November 30 when the Dallas Cowboys took on the Seattle Seahawks in a game that garnered 15.26 million viewers.
Ahead of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nfl-fans-upset-after-playoff-game-gets-paywalled">game</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nbc-drops-al-michaels-from-nfl-playoffs-coverage">NFL</a> fans took to social media and made it clear they did not think it was right that an AFC wild-card game was being offered exclusively to Peacock subscribers, a first in playoff history.
NFL reporter Ari Meirov pointed out that the league and network would make a lot of money by making the game exclusive to Peacock subscribers.
&#8220;Peacock is paying in the range of $110M to exclusively carry a playoff game,&#8221; Meirov wrote in a post on <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1744192659839717657?s=20">X</a>. &#8220;The game they are getting is a Chiefs / Patrick Mahomes game. FWIW: My comment section is not happy.&#8221;
Fans who lived in the Kansas City or Miami television markets were able to view the game on their local NBC affiliate. But fans outside those areas had to pay $5.99 for a monthly subscription to Peacock to watch, TMZ noted.

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Paywalled Chiefs-Dolphins Wild Card Game Sets Streaming Record

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nbc-drops-al-michaels-from-nfl-playoffs-coverage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL</a> fans took to social media and made it clear they do not think it’s right that an AFC wild-card game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins has been paywalled on the Peacock network, a first in playoff history.
Both the league and the network have been slammed after making Saturday&#8217;s game only available to Peacock subscribers, forcing fans to sign up to watch, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/01/08/nfl-playoff-game-on-peacock-angers-fans-chiefs">Sports Illustrated</a> reported.
NFL reporter Ari Meirov pointed out that the league and network are making a lot of money by making the game exclusive to Peacock subscribers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Fans rightfully crush NFL and NBC for putting AFC playoff game exclusively on Peacock <a href="https://t.co/yDzrVBQUc7">https://t.co/yDzrVBQUc7</a>
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1744207328956543141?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Peacock is paying in the range of $110M to exclusively carry a playoff game,&#8221; Meirov wrote in a post on <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1744192659839717657?s=20">X</a>. &#8220;The game they are getting is a Chiefs / Patrick Mahomes game. FWIW: My comment section is not happy.&#8221;
Many of the comments pointed out that, while it&#8217;s not unheard of for fans to pay to see their teams play during the regular season due to regional broadcast rights, fans have never had to pay extra money to see an NFL playoff game.
&#8220;An absolute joke that a full NFL playoff game is exclusively on [Peacock],&#8221; one person wrote. &#8220;Steaming services are ruining sports broadcasts.&#8221;
Another added, &#8220;Probably just me but I think the NFL having a playoff game exclusively on Peacock is disgraceful. It&#8217;s never about the fans and always about the money. I hope it gets the lowest rating of any playoff game.&#8221;
New York sports radio host Mike Francesa called the NFL &#8220;greedy&#8221; for the move, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2024/01/09/legendary-radio-host-mike-francesa-rips-nfl-hosting-playoff-game-peacock-streaming-chiefs-dolphins/?adid=social-tw">TMZ</a> noted.
&#8220;The NFL, which has the biggest, the best, and the most loyal fanbase anywhere, decides to basically thumb its nose at its fanbase and just make another greedy reach for another bundle of money, like they need it.&#8221; 
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/patrick-mahomes-reveals-how-chiefs-players-initially-reacted-to-travis-kelce-taylor-swift-romance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chiefs</a> defensive end <a href="https://x.com/charless_94/status/1744216703360442827?s=20">Charles Omenihu</a> slammed the move as &#8220;insane” and offered a way for fans to see the game for free. 
&#8220;Alright Chiefs Kingdom, I saw the comments and want y&#8217;all to be able to watch us play…So, I&#8217;m giving away 90 3-month Peacock memberships!&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/charless_94/status/1744914921085702226?s=20">wrote</a> on social media.
&#8220;To enter to win, reply to this tweet with why you should get picked,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Picking winners Friday!&#8221;
Fans who live in the Kansas City or Miami television markets can view the game on their local NBC affiliate. But fans outside those areas must pay $5.99 for a monthly subscription to Peacock to watch, TMZ noted.

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