Netflix could have considered one of its largest days Wednesday for the reason that website launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL video games for the primary time.
“NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame present at 11 a.m., earlier than Pittsburgh hosts Kansas Metropolis. Baltimore faces Houston within the second recreation.
The streaming big agreed to a three-year contract in Might to hold Christmas Day video games.
The place will the video games be accessible?
Netflix’s 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 international locations will be capable to stream the video games, marking the primary time one outlet has distributed an NFL recreation globally. Netflix could have the video games accessible in 5 languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German.
The video games can even air on CBS associates in Kansas Metropolis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston. NFL coverage dictates that video games on cable or being completely streamed should even be on an over-the-air station within the competing groups’ markets. It should even be accessible on cellular units within the U.S. for individuals who have NFL+.
Why is the NFL placing Christmas Day video games on a streaming platform?
The largest motive is cash. The league is getting $150 million from Netflix for the 2 video games this season. It additionally continues the NFL’s strikes into streaming — Thursday evening video games are of their third season on Amazon Prime Video and the “Sunday Ticket” package deal moved to YouTube TV final 12 months.
However Christmas is on a Wednesday when video games normally aren’t performed.
That’s true, however the league wasn’t about to surrender Christmas after seeing the rankings. Final 12 months’s three video games averaged 28.68 million viewers. The early afternoon contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and Chiefs led the best way, averaging 29.48 million.
The Chiefs, Steelers, Ravens and Texans performed on Saturday, giving them the identical turnaround they’d have in the event that they performed on Sunday after which Thursday.
What’s at stake for the groups taking part in?
All 4 have clinched playoff spots within the AFC, however seeding stays up for grabs.
Kansas Metropolis (14-1) can clinch the highest seed — which might imply a first-round bye and residential area all through the playoffs — with a win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh and Baltimore are tied atop the AFC North at 10-5, with the Steelers holding the tiebreaker resulting from a greater convention file.
Houston (9-6) has wrapped up the AFC South and holds the fourth seed.
Has Netflix fastened its streaming issues from the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson combat?
Netflix hopes so. Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice chairman of nonfiction sequence and sports activities, stated the system was stress examined, after which some, throughout the Nov. 14 bout, together with web service suppliers reporting they had been additionally overwhelmed by the surge that occurred earlier than and throughout the combat.
The bout peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, together with 38 million concurrent streams in the USA. In response to the web site Down Detector, almost 85,000 viewers logged issues with outages or streaming main as much as and throughout the combat.
Might there be the identical quantity streaming the video games that there have been throughout the combat?
Doable? Sure. Seemingly? No.
The most important viewers for a streamed-exclusive NFL recreation was 23 million on Peacock for final season’s AFC wild-card recreation between the Miami Dolphins and Chiefs.
Nielsen will measure the rankings for the Christmas Day video games, with early numbers anticipated late afternoon on Thursday.
When might there be surge in demand on Wednesday?
It should in all probability beat kickoff for each video games, however particularly round 5:45 p.m. EST. That might be close to halftime of the Ravens-Texans recreation, and when Beyoncé can be performing.
What different celebrities will seem?
Mariah Carey will kick off the day with a taped efficiency of “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
There isn’t a phrase if Taylor Swift will make the journey to Pittsburgh to look at her boyfriend, Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce. Swift has been spending time in Kansas Metropolis since she wrapped up her Eras Tour two weeks in the past.
What number of Christmas video games will Netflix carry within the subsequent two seasons?
The NFL could have not less than two video games on Dec. 25 in 2025 and ’26, with Netflix slated to have not less than one annually. Amazon Prime Video could have an evening recreation with Christmas on a Thursday subsequent 12 months.
Does Netflix have an curiosity in different sports activities?
Netflix’s worldwide partnership with World Wrestling Leisure will start on Jan. 6 when “Monday Night Raw” strikes to the streaming service.
On Friday, Netflix secured the U.S. rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Girls’s World Cup.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
