Nielsen ratings or Netflix official reports

Netflix's Christmas NFL Games Draw Record 65M Viewers; Beyoncé's Halftime Peaks at 27M

Dec 26, 2024, 11:31 PM

Netflix made a historic debut in live sports broadcasting on Christmas Day, Wednesday, by streaming two NFL games, which attracted record-breaking viewership numbers. The Kansas City Chiefs faced the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens played against the Houston Texans. According to Nielsen, the Chiefs-Steelers game garnered an average minute audience of 24.1 million U.S. viewers, and the Ravens-Texans game drew 24.3 million, making them the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history. The total unduplicated U.S. audience reached nearly 65 million viewers, with international numbers yet to be released. Viewership peaked at over 27 million during Beyoncé's halftime performance at the Ravens-Texans game, dubbed the 'Beyoncé Bowl.' The games were produced by CBS Sports. Netflix, which launched in 1998, experienced one of its biggest days ever, marking a new step as streaming platforms expand further into sports broadcasting.