27.5 Million Viewers on Christmas 2025
Netflix made history this Christmas Day with its livestream of the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions NFL game, attracting a record-breaking 27.5 million viewers. This marked the most-streamed game in NFL history, with an average of 30 million viewers at its peak during the halftime show, “Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party.”
In comparison to last year’s Christmas games, Netflix’s first-ever Christmas games averaged 24.3 million and 24.1 million viewers, respectively. This year, the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Commanders game earlier in the day drew in 19.9 million viewers. With the Lions-Vikings game this year, Netflix has now distributed the top three most-streamed NFL games of all time.
Although Nielsen’s data only reflects viewership in the U.S., Netflix’s NFL games were available globally, attracting viewers from over 200 countries and territories. The Lions-Vikings game had an average minute audience of 30.5 million viewers worldwide, while the Cowboys-Commanders game reached 22.4 million viewers.
The NFL games contributed to a successful Christmas Day for Netflix, which also premiered Volume 2 of the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things.” The season was Netflix’s most-watched title worldwide on Dec. 25 and garnered 34.5 million views throughout the week of Dec. 22-28.
In addition to the games, the NFL telecasts featured a lineup of entertainment, including performances by Netflix talent. Snoop Dogg showcased the singers behind Huntr/x from the film “KPop Demon Hunters,” while Lainey Wilson and Martha Stewart made appearances. The halftime show for the Cowboys-Commanders game was led by Sugarhill Gang.
Both games were produced by CBS Sports, with NFL Media handling the pre- and post-game as well as studio halftime programming. EverWonder Studio served as the executive producer for Netflix’s telecast.
The combination of high viewership numbers, global reach, and engaging entertainment highlights the success of Netflix’s NFL games on Christmas Day. With a mix of sports, entertainment, and popular series like “Stranger Things,” Netflix continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
