In 2024, the NFL aired a pair of games on Christmas Day, but in 2025, the league is stepping up its game with a tripleheader. According to John Ourand’s Puck newsletter, “The Varsity,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans for three NFL games this Christmas—two on Netflix and one on Amazon Prime. Since Christmas falls on a Thursday, the game on Amazon will be part of their Thursday Night Football lineup.
Last year, both games on Christmas Day were streamed on Netflix, featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens facing the Houston Texans on the road. Although the games were not closely contested, with the Chiefs winning 29-10 and the Ravens 31-2, the NFL’s viewership far outstripped that of the NBA, as noted by Warren Sharp.
so the NFL is indeed taking Christmas from the NBA
the NFL is planning a Christmas TRIPLEHEADER this year (a Thursday) after the success of last year’s 2-game Christmas slate:
Game 1: Netflix
Game 2: Netflix
Game 3: Amazonlast year’s viewership domination:
24.1M – Chiefs v…
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 1, 2025
While NBA star LeBron James claimed that “Christmas is our day” following a thrilling victory of the Los Angeles Lakers over the Golden State Warriors, he later conceded the gap in viewership. This will not be the first instance of the NFL airing three games on Christmas Day, as the league did so in both 2022 and 2023 when Christmas fell on a Sunday and Monday, respectively.
