KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – DECEMBER 24: A Kansas City Chiefs fan, dressed as Santa Claus, poses for a photo with a fan before their game against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium on December 24, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jason Hanna/Getty Images)
For the first time ever, Netflix will show two NFL games next Christmas Day. The streaming service got the rights to the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Both Christmas games have playoff implications. Kansas City has rolled to a 14-1 record, while Pittsburgh sits at 10-5 after losing their last two games. The second matchup has a surging Ravens team, riding a two-game win streak, going up against a banged-up Texans squad.
The odds favor the home teams. Kansas City is picked to win with 1.78 odds to Pittsburgh's 2.09, while Baltimore is a heavy favorite at 1.48 compared to Houston's 2.73.
"NFL fans have shown a strong desire for football on Christmas," said NFL Executive Vice President Hans Schroeder to ESPN.
The 2024 games make it five years in a row of Christmas Day football. Last year's game between the Ravens and 49ers pulled in 27.2 million viewers, showing fans love their holiday football.
The NFL has been playing Christmas games since 1971. That year's double-header saw Dallas face Minnesota while Kansas City played Miami. The Chiefs-Dolphins game remains the longest NFL game ever, lasting 82 minutes and 40 seconds.
The NFL's 2024 schedule now covers more days than before. Besides the regular Sunday, Monday, and Thursday games, plus some Saturday matchups, they've added a Black Friday game and planned a Week 1 game in Brazil on Friday.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed worries about mid-week games. "This will not be a regular thing," Goodell told ESPN.
With 30 Christmas Day games since 1971, the NFL is breaking new ground with these streaming-only games as they look for new ways to reach viewers.
