Netflix paid $150 million to air two NFL games exclusively on the streaming platform on Christmas Day and it yielded record-breaking viewing figures.

Thanks to NFL stars like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, Netflix said it enjoyed its "most-watched Christmas day ever" in the U.S.

In the NBA, the Christmas lineup averaged 5.25 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, a big increase from the all-time low of 2.85 million in 2023. ABC simulcast all five games this year, whereas the broadcaster only carried two a year ago due in part to its Monday Night Football obligation.

Netflix’s first NFL Christmas Day doubleheader ended up being successful globally. The Baltimore Ravens’ 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans averaged 31.3 million while Kansas City’s 29-10 win at Pittsburgh averaged 30 million worldwide, according to Netflix’s first-party data released on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening matchup on the NFL's doubleheader on Netflix.

After opening presents, NFL fans will be treated to a doubleheader of action on Christmas Day. The first game will pit the 14-1 Chiefs against the 10-5 Steelers in a matchup between two playoff-bound teams.

It has finally happened: Netflix now has live football. Announced earlier this year, Christmas Day marks the beginning of the NFL's expansion onto the popular streaming service, with two games on tap for this year: the Chiefs and Steelers in the opener at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the Ravens and Texans in the day's second game at 4:30 p.m. ET.

“Netflix entered the NFL streaming game on Wednesday with its pair of NFL broadcasts, with the Ravens vs. Texans posting a 24.3 million average minute audience and the Chiefs vs. Steelers notching a 24.1 million average minute audience,” the Bleacher Report wrote of the Christmas games.

Netflix registered its most-watched Christmas Day ever after splashing $150 million on the exclusive rights to two NFL games on December 25 this year