New record set by NFL fans in December
The NFL streaming services saw a boom in December with high-profile matchups.
A trio of NFL games on December 25 helped push streaming viewership to record-breaking levels across the United States, highlighting a shift in how audiences are watching live television in the modern age.
At the centre of this trend was Netflix’s doubleheader. The late-afternoon clash between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings became the most streamed NFL game in U.S. history, averaging 27.5 million viewers and peaking above 30 million, according to Nielsen. This figure beat the previous record held by a Christmas Day matchup from the year before.
Alongside that, the evening contest featuring the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs set a new personal best for Amazon Prime Video’s NFL broadcasts, drawing an average audience of just over 21 million.
Nielsen’s measurement showed that nearly 55 billion streaming minutes were watched on Christmas Day, overtaking the previous high set in 2024 by about 8 percent. Streaming accounted for more than half of all television viewing in the United States on the holiday, reflecting how digital platforms are overtaking traditional broadcasts in today’s world.
The appeal of live sports on streaming is hardly accidental. For years, the NFL has experimented with new ways to broaden its reach, and the Christmas Day window has quickly become a key moment on the holiday calendar. By partnering with major streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, the league has tapped into audiences that have grown comfortable with digital platforms, not only for scripted shows and films but for live events as well, something the services are all to happy to do with NFL and other sporting events.
Viewers from over 200 countries tuned into at least one of the Christmas Day matchups, with global average viewership in the tens of millions for each contest.
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This worldwide engagement points to the league’s strategy of positioning itself as a truly international property, and further makes the case for the NFL’s constant market push across the world.
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