Christmas falls on a Thursday in 2025. For a long time, the NFL treated Christmas like a guest they didn't want to overstay their welcome with, only playing if the holiday happened to land on a Sunday. Those days are dead. After seeing the massive television ratings from the last few years—like the 29 million people who tuned in to see the Chiefs and Raiders in 2023—the league has decided that tradition takes a backseat to the box office. If you're planning your 2025 holiday around turkey and "A Christmas Story" marathons, you might want to check the kickoff times first.
The 2025 slate is a bit of a logistical headache that the league solved with cold, hard cash. Since Christmas 2025 is a Thursday, it fits perfectly into the Thursday Night Football slot, but don't expect just one game. The league has already signaled its intent to mirror the "tripleheader" success we've seen recently. Netflix is the big player here. After 2024 marked their massive entry into live NFL broadcasting, 2025 is expected to be the year they solidify their hold on the holiday.
The Netflix Factor and the 2025 Schedule Shifting
Netflix didn't just dip a toe in the water; they jumped in with a multi-year deal that specifically targets Christmas Day. For Christmas football games 2025, you aren't going to find every game on local CBS or FOX affiliates. You’re going to need a login. It’s a polarizing move. Hardcore fans hate the fragmentation of streaming services, but the NFL follows the eyeballs.
What makes 2025 interesting is how the league handles the "short rest" problem. Playing on Thursday usually means teams played the previous Sunday. However, because the NFL wants high-quality matchups for Christmas, they’ve experimented with playing those specific teams on the preceding Wednesday or even a Tuesday to ensure player safety (or at least the appearance of it). Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said the league wouldn't play on Tuesdays or Wednesdays regularly, but the revenue from Christmas games 2025 is too high to ignore.
The strategy is basically to turn Christmas into "Thanksgiving 2.0." While the NBA used to own December 25th, the NFL has effectively bullied them off the block. The ratings aren't even close. Last year, NFL games averaged four times the viewership of the top NBA Christmas matchups.
Predicted Matchups and the Logic of the Draw
The NFL doesn't release the official schedule until May, but we can look at the 2025 opponents list to see who’s likely to take the field. The league prioritizes big markets and "Quarterback Gold." You can bet your life savings that Patrick Mahomes or C.J. Stroud will be involved.
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A heavy favorite for a Christmas football games 2025 slot is the Kansas City Chiefs. They are the league's undisputed protagonist. Whether you love them or you're tired of seeing Travis Kelce in every third commercial, they draw numbers. A divisional rivalry like Chiefs vs. Raiders or a heavyweight bout against the Bengals would be a primary target for the 1:00 PM ET or 4:30 PM ET windows.
Don't sleep on the Detroit Lions either. After decades of being the Thanksgiving appetizer, their recent surge into elite status makes them a prime candidate for a national Christmas broadcast. Imagine the atmosphere at Ford Field on Christmas night. It’s electric just thinking about it. Then there’s the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones never met a primetime slot he didn't like. Even if the Cowboys are struggling, they are the "Hate-Watch" kings of America.
- The Morning Window (1:00 PM ET): Usually a high-profile NFC East or AFC North battle. Think Steelers or Eagles.
- The Afternoon Window (4:30 PM ET): The "Netflix Special." This is where the biggest star power sits.
- The Night Window (8:20 PM ET): Historically the Thursday Night Football slot, likely featuring a West Coast team like the 49ers or Rams to maximize the late-night audience.
Why the NBA is Worried About 2025
For decades, the NBA owned Christmas. It was their "Opening Day" for casual fans. But the NFL’s aggressive expansion into December 25th has left the NBA scrambling. In 2025, the NBA will likely still schedule five games, but they are increasingly finding themselves relegated to the "second screen."
The issue is the sheer scale of NFL fandom. Football is an event; basketball is a season. When Christmas football games 2025 kick off, they occupy a space in the American psyche that a mid-season Lakers vs. Celtics game just can't touch. Experts like Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Media Distribution, have been vocal about the data: fans want football on holidays. The league is just giving the people what they ask for, even if it means some players have to spend the morning opening presents over FaceTime in a hotel room.
The Player Safety Debate Reaches a Fever Pitch
We have to talk about the toll this takes. Pro athletes aren't robots. Playing a high-intensity game on Christmas—especially when it falls on a Thursday—requires a massive shift in the standard weekly "cycle" of recovery.
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Dr. Chao (the "ProFootballDoc") and other sports medicine experts often point out that the real risk isn't just the game itself, but the lack of a full recovery window from the previous week. If the NFL moves games to Wednesday to "buffer" the Christmas Thursday games, they are essentially creating a logistical nightmare for training staffs. Players like Jason Kelce have previously voiced that while the exposure is great, the physical tax is real.
Expect the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) to push for even more concessions in 2025 regarding these holiday windows. We might see things like mandatory "no-contact" practices for the entire week leading up to Christmas or an automatic "Mini-Bye" (10 days off) for any team forced to play on the holiday.
How to Watch: Navigating the 2025 Streaming Mess
If you want to see the Christmas football games 2025, you need to prepare your wallet. The days of just turning on an antenna are fading.
- Netflix: They are expected to hold the rights to at least two of the games. You'll need an active subscription.
- Amazon Prime: Since it's a Thursday, Amazon may still have a claim to the night game, depending on how their contract interacts with the Netflix holiday "takeover."
- Local Broadcasts: Per NFL rules, games on streaming services are still broadcast on free, over-the-air TV in the local markets of the two teams playing. If you live in Cincinnati and the Bengals are playing on Netflix, you can still watch on your local CBS or NBC affiliate. If you live elsewhere? You’re paying for the app.
Logistics for Fans Planning to Attend
If you're crazy enough (or dedicated enough) to go in person, 2025 is going to be expensive. Tickets for Christmas games usually carry a 30-50% premium on the secondary market. Flights on Christmas Eve are a gamble, and hotels in NFL cities like Green Bay or Buffalo will be packed with fans who decided a stadium brat was better than a home-cooked ham.
Actually, if you're going to a game in 2025, look at cities with indoor stadiums. The 2025 season will likely feature at least one "dome game" (think Atlanta, Detroit, or New Orleans) to ensure that a blizzard doesn't tank the Netflix stream's visual quality. High-definition snow looks cool, but a frozen field slows down the game, and the NFL wants "track meet" scoring for their holiday showcase.
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What This Means for Your Holiday Traditions
Honestly, the "purity" of Christmas Day is changing. It used to be about family and food, with sports as a background noise. Now, the NFL is making the game the centerpiece. You’ve probably noticed it in your own house—the dinner schedule gets moved to halftime. The "Secret Santa" happens during the commercial break between the 1st and 2nd quarters.
Is it too much? Maybe. But the numbers don't lie. We keep watching.
To get the most out of the 2025 experience, you should plan your "NFL Tech Stack" now. Make sure your smart TV apps are updated. Check your internet bandwidth. If three games are streaming simultaneously across different platforms, your home Wi-Fi is going to take a beating.
Actionable Steps for the 2025 Holiday Season:
- Audit your streaming services by November: Don't be the person trying to remember your Netflix password ten minutes before kickoff while your family yells at you.
- Monitor the flex scheduling: The NFL can "flex" games into different time slots. In 2025, they have more power than ever to move a "boring" game out of the Christmas slot and replace it with a high-stakes matchup. Keep an eye on the standings around Week 12.
- Book travel early: If you're traveling to an NFL city for the 2025 holidays, flights will be at an all-time high due to the Thursday/Friday "long weekend" surge.
- Check local listings if you're a cord-cutter: If you rely on YouTube TV or Fubo, ensure they still carry the local channels that will simulcast these games if you’re in a participating market.
The 2025 Christmas football slate isn't just a set of games; it's a statement by the NFL that they own the calendar. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just someone who likes the "vibes" of a snowy game on the TV, the landscape has shifted. Thursday, December 25, 2025, will be the biggest day in the history of streaming sports. Plan accordingly.