Beyoncé brought a surge of excitement to Netflix’s NFL debut on Christmas Day, outshining both games with a memorable halftime performance.
Riding into Houston’s NRG Stadium on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner captivated the crowd with a nearly 13-minute set on Wednesday. Surprising fans, she brought out Shaboozey to perform “Sweet Honey Buckiin” and welcomed Post Malone for “Levii’s Jeans.”
The NFL games, featuring four of the AFC’s top five teams, fell short of expectations. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 29-10 Kansas City Chiefs victory during the first game, exposing flaws in the Steelers’ defence. The Chiefs’ win secured them the AFC’s top seed, with Mahomes throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns, while Kelce logged eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens triumphed over the Houston Texans in a 31-2 blowout. Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes, ran for another, and rested during much of the fourth quarter.
The Ravens now lead the AFC North, a game ahead of the struggling Steelers, who face the prospect of a wild-card spot.
Mariah Carey opened the day’s events with a pre-recorded performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Despite minor glitches in Netflix’s pregame show — including a brief microphone issue — the broadcast proceeded smoothly and became the platform’s second-most popular live title to date, according to NFL Media.
Netflix’s streaming performance marked a milestone, with games available in five languages and accessible to its 282.3 million global subscribers.
This Christmas broadcast was part of a three-year agreement with the NFL, allowing the streaming service to globally distribute games for the first time.
Wednesday’s games drew viewers from all 50 US states and nearly 200 countries, surpassing Netflix’s previous Christmas Day records for concurrent viewership.
The Ravens-Texans match marked only the third Wednesday NFL game since 1948, the others occurring in 2012 and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Netflix’s successful execution underscored its potential as a global sports broadcaster, despite challenges with live streaming events in the past, such as the Tyson-Jake Paul fight in November. With fewer complaints this time, Netflix demonstrated its readiness for high-stakes live sports coverage.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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