NFL + Netflix = Record Numbers… And It’s Just the Start of Their Live Streaming Playbook

Christmas morning usually means the usual suspects: ugly sweaters, absurdly early wake-ups, and me fumbling to assemble my kid’s new toys with zero instructions (because nothing says “holiday cheer” like a quart of eggnog and a dozen leftover screws).

But this year, Netflix decided to change things up for me with a little football… and oh boy, did they come in clutch with some great games. Not only did the streamer pull off its first-ever live NFL broadcast on Christmas Day (with just a few early glitches), but it also broke streaming records faster than my sister goes through a new boyfriend. 

According to Nielsen, a whopping 24 million viewers on average tuned in for each matchup, making them the most-streamed NFL games in history. In total, nearly 65 million people watched some part of the action. 

Oh, and about halftime? It wasn’t your standard local marching band and lame fireworks. Beyonce… yes, Queen Bey herself… stole the show during the Ravens-Texans game. Her halftime performance drew 27 million viewers. To put that into perspective, more people watched Beyoncé belt it out than live in Australia. 

Remember now… Netflix’s Christmas Day takeover wasn’t a random experiment. It’s part of a three-year deal with the NFL to exclusively stream Christmas matchups. And if this year’s numbers are any indication, it’s going to be the gift that keeps on giving.

“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. Translation: “Santa can sit this one out; we’ve got it covered.”

The games themselves were barnburners and produced viewership that traditional broadcasters would sell their souls for. By comparison, the NBA (usually the king of Christmas sports) averaged just 5.25 million viewers per game, even with big-name matchups like LeBron vs. Steph Curry.

Watch out network TV… Netflix has kicked down the door, planted a flag, and declared, “This is ours now.” Between this NFL deal and their recent live events like the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match, Netflix has officially stolen cable’s lunch money.

Netflix’s stock has definitely been living its best life in 2024. Shares have risen nearly 93% this year, hitting an all-time high earlier in December. 

Traditional broadcasters better start sweating because if Netflix can dominate the NFL on its first try, imagine what it could do with even bigger games… or, dare we say, the Super Bowl. 

P.S. ICYMI, Prospect Capital CEO John F. Barry just threw down $8.58 million like it’s pocket change to snag 2 million shares of his own company… while the stock’s hanging out near its 52-week low. This power move increases his already ridiculous stake to almost 80 million shares. Oh, and did we mention the 12.6% dividend yield? Yeah, Barry’s either a genius or has the confidence of a guy who knows something the rest of us don’t (I think you know the answer). Want the inside baseball on moves like this? Click here to unlock our Insider Activity Tracker with Stocks.News premium… because if you can’t beat ’em, you might as well follow their trades.

Stock.News has positions in Netflix mentioned in article.