At a Glance
- Vikings defeat Lions with record 27.5 million U.S. viewers on Netflix
- Broncos edge Chiefs with 21.06 million Prime Video viewers, topping Thursday Night Football
- Snoop Dogg’s halftime show pulls 100 million social impressions worldwide
Why it matters: These numbers show how streaming platforms are reshaping NFL viewership and fan engagement.
On Christmas Day, two of the NFL’s three televised games shattered viewership records, with the Vikings-Lions matchup on Netflix drawing the largest U.S. audience ever for a streaming football game and the Broncos-Chiefs contest on Amazon Prime Video setting a new benchmark for Thursday Night Football.
Record-breaking viewership on Netflix and Prime Video
The Vikings‘ 23-10 win over the Lions averaged 27.5 million U.S. viewers, peaking above 30 million, surpassing the 27.2 million average for last year’s Netflix game between the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. The Broncos‘ 20-13 victory over the Chiefs had a 21.06 million average on Prime Video, breaking the network’s previous 19.39 million mark for the most-watched Thursday Night Football game. The audience peaked at 22.9 million during the second quarter.
Other game performances and global reach
The Cowboys–Commanders game averaged 19.9 million viewers, down from the 25.8 million tune-in for last year’s Chiefs-Steelers game. Figures for all three games include local broadcast stations and NFL+ mobile or web viewing, and Netflix and Nielsen reported that Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party averaged 29 million viewers. The two Netflix games were streamed globally, drawing audiences from over 200 countries; the Cowboys-Commanders game had a global average of 22.4 million, while the Lions-Vikings game reached 30.5 million.
| Game | U.S. Average | Peak U.S. | Global Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vikings-Lions | 27.5 M | >30 M | 30.5 M |
| Broncos-Chiefs | 21.06 M | 22.9 M | – |
| Cowboys-Commanders | 19.9 M | – | 22.4 M |
Social media buzz
Netflix said its “NFL Christmas Gameday” drew more than 632 million social impressions worldwide, with Snoop Dogg’s halftime show garnering over 100 million impressions. Snoop was the number one trend in the U.S. alongside Andrea Bocelli, Lainey Wilson and Duck Hodges.
Key Takeaways
- Vikings-Lions on Netflix set a U.S. streaming record with 27.5 million viewers.
- Broncos-Chiefs on Prime Video broke Thursday Night Football’s viewership record.
- Snoop Dogg’s halftime show generated 100 million social impressions, driving global engagement.
Christmas Day’s NFL games show how streaming and social media are redefining football viewership, with record-breaking numbers across the board.
