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The NFL plans to have Christmas games in the 2024-25 season, even though the occasion falls on a Wednesday - which is usually a rest day. Streaming giant Netflix has emerged as a serious candidate to land the rights to air those games,
It could cost at least $50 million, according to Puck News' John Ourand:
However, the partnership is not something that came from out of nowhere. Former MVP quarterback Boomer Esiason had hinted about it on his WFAN radio show:
“This is what I think is going to happen, could be wrong, but I don’t think I am … Do not be surprised if the NFL and Netflix get in bed for a nice little Christmas Day football games. I would not be surprised.”
Why is NFL eyeing Christmas Wednesday games on Netflix? Analyzing reasons for plans
So why air Christmas football online on a Wednesday? It's no secret that Netflix is quickly becoming the newest hot destination for airing of sports and sports-related content.
From docuseries like Drive to Survive and Quarterback to live productions like Tom Brady's roast special last Sunday and WWE Raw (which it will begin airing in 2025), the streaming service has been finding ways to establish itself in a landscape still dominated by cable and will continue to do so.
Another factor could be increased confidence in competing with the NBA, which has traditionally dominated the Christmas sports slate. Veteran sportscaster Colin Cowherd said on his eponymous podcast on Sunday:
“I think the NFL sees weakness. The gloves are off. It feels like to me, the NFL has said ‘We’re going to squeeze you,’ and I do believe that is a tipping point. That Christmas Day mattered a lot to the NBA, and those NFL games put a blanket over it.”
For context, last Christmas, CBS (Las Vegas Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs), Fox (New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles) and ABC (San Francisco 49ers-Baltimore Ravens) aired an NFL game on Monday and captured almost 30 million viewers.
By contrast, the highest-watched game of the NBA's quintuple-header the same day, LA Lakers vs. Boston Celtics, drew only five million viewers. The Miami Heat-Philadelphia 76ers clash had an abysmal 1.2 million.
