Netflix snagged global streaming rights for NFL Christmas Day games

Just 11 months ago, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the streamer was “super excited about the success of our sports-adjacent programming,” but it’s going from adjacent to all in now, announcing a new three-year deal with the NFL to stream Christmas Day games.

After the announcement, Netflix revealed that this year’s games will feature Kansas City taking on the Steelers and the Ravens against the Texans.

As we’ve seen with previous NFL games shifted to streaming on Peacock and Amazon, the arrangement will include airing them on broadcast TV in the competing teams’ home markets, but elsewhere in the US, you’ll either need to have Netflix or watch on a mobile device with NFL Plus.

After 2024, the announcement says the deal includes “at least one holiday game each year” in 2025 and 2026. Netflix reportedly had competition from Amazon in bidding for the Christmas games, and The Wall Street Journal cites sources saying Netflix is paying about $75 million per game this year. That’s in addition to stuff like the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight and a $5 billion, 10-year arrangement with WWE that will start in January 2025, so don’t be surprised if the price for streaming increases and the push for bundles continues.

Update, May 15th: Added the teams that will appear in Netflix’s NFL games this year.