NFL Expands Christmas Day Games to Three, Shifting to Streaming Services

NFL's Christmas Day Expansion

• 🏈 The NFL is increasing its Christmas Day game schedule to three games this year.
• 💰 This move is seen as the NFL maximizing revenue by "milking every cent out of the dollar" and carving up media rights.

Streaming Service Partnerships

• 📺 The first two Christmas games will be exclusively on Netflix.
• 📦 The third game will be on Amazon Prime Video.
• 🚫 None of the three games will be available on traditional linear television.

Impact on Viewers and Competition

• ⚠️ Viewers without Netflix or Amazon Prime Video subscriptions will not be able to watch the Christmas Day games nationally.
• 🗓️ Christmas Day falls on a Thursday this year, aligning with Amazon's existing Thursday Night Football rights.
• 🏀 This expansion puts the NFL in direct competition with the NBA, which traditionally hosts games on Christmas Day.

Previous Success and Future Strategy

• 📈 Last year's Christmas Day games on Netflix achieved strong viewership, even outperforming purely streaming playoff games.
• 🤝 The NFL likely views Netflix as a key future partner, potentially leading to more high-profile games being offered to the streamer.
• 🏆 The NFL is positioned to win the viewership battle against the NBA on Christmas, solidifying its status as "America's sport."