Netflix said it ... ya can't spell the streaming giant's name without "NFL" ... and starting this season, you can't watch Christmas Day football without a subscription!
The NFL broke the news Wednesday morning, announcing Netflix would stream two "marquee" games on December 25, starting in 2024. They'll also host games in 2025 and 2026, and possibly beyond.
“We couldn't be more excited to be the first professional sports league to partner with Netflix to bring live games to fans around the world," NFL executive Hans Schroeder said.
“The NFL on Christmas has become a tradition and to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically this holiday, is the perfect combination to grow this event globally for NFL fans."
Of course, the writing's been on the wall ... sports are moving to streaming. Last season, Peacock exclusively aired (outside of the home markets) the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins playoff game.
Despite much debate about whether people would pay to watch the game, they did ... to the tune of 23 million people, proving NBC's $100+ million deal to be a savvy one.
It's unclear how much Netflix, nearing 300 million monthly subscribers, has paid for the Christmas games ... but you can bet it's an insane amount of cash.
The company has clearly put a priority on moving into the sports world. After several years of successful, original sports programming (Formula 1: Drive to Survive, etc.), Netflix got the rights to stream Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul on July 20.
Now, they're in business with the most popular and profitable sports league in America, by far, and they're fired up!
“There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We're so excited that the NFL's Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."