The NFL on Christmas used to be a rare treat, almost like spotting a snowy owl in the suburbs. If it happened, it was a fluke of the calendar. But things have changed fast. Now, the league basically owns the holiday, and if you were looking for what nfl football teams play on christmas during the 2025 season, you saw a tripleheader that felt more like a streaming marathon than a traditional broadcast.
Honestly, the 2025 slate was a bit of a wild ride. We had a massive shift in how fans actually watch the games, with Netflix taking the wheel for the first time. It wasn't just about who was playing; it was about where you had to go to find them.
The 2025 Christmas Day Lineup
The league didn't hold back on the rivalries for the 2025 holiday. We saw three high-stakes games—or at least, they looked high-stakes when the schedule dropped back in May. By the time December 25th rolled around, the reality on the ground was a little more complicated.
The Dallas Cowboys traveled to face the Washington Commanders to kick things off. This was the 1:00 p.m. ET slot. It’s a classic NFC East grudge match. Usually, these two teams are fighting for a playoff spot, but 2025 was a weird year for Dallas. Dak Prescott had been dealing with injury issues, and Washington was trying to find its footing under Dan Quinn. Dallas ended up taking this one 30-23, proving that even in a "down" year, they still show up for the big spotlights.
Next up at 4:30 p.m. ET, the Detroit Lions headed into the "loud house" to play the Minnesota Vikings. This was the game everyone had circled. Detroit has become a national darling under Dan Campbell, and Minnesota is always a tough out at home. In a bit of an upset based on how the season was trending, the Vikings pulled off a 23-10 win. It was a defensive slugfest that probably ruined a lot of fantasy football seasons right in the middle of the holidays.
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Finally, the nightcap. The Denver Broncos visited the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:15 p.m. ET. This was the only game not on Netflix, as it fell under the Amazon Prime Video "Thursday Night Football" umbrella. The Chiefs were playing without Patrick Mahomes, which sounds like a nightmare for ratings, but the Broncos capitalized. Denver won 20-13, snapping a nearly decade-long losing streak at Arrowhead Stadium.
Why Netflix Changed the Game
You've probably noticed that your cable box is becoming less and less relevant for live sports. The 2025 Christmas games were the official "coming out party" for Netflix in the NFL world. They signed a three-year deal that runs through 2026, and the numbers they pulled in were staggering.
Reports indicate the Lions-Vikings game averaged about 27.5 million viewers. That’s a massive win for a streaming platform. It’s also a sign of things to come. The league realizes that families are gathered around the TV on Christmas, and they want to be the "fireplace" that everyone watches.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Social media was a mess of people trying to figure out their passwords or complaining about the 30-second lag compared to the live radio broadcast. Kinda typical for a first-time tech rollout of this scale, right?
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The History of Football on December 25th
It’s easy to forget that for a long time, the NFL stayed away from Christmas. They didn't want to step on the NBA's toes, which has owned the day since the 1940s. The very first Christmas game happened in 1971—a playoff double-header. One of those games, Dolphins vs. Chiefs, is still the longest game in NFL history. It went into double overtime and lasted over 82 minutes of game time.
Fans actually complained so much about the "interruption" of the holiday that the league didn't schedule another Christmas game for 18 years.
Recent Trends
- 2022: The league went big with three games for the first time on Christmas Day.
- 2023: Another tripleheader, featuring a massive Ravens-49ers showdown.
- 2024: Netflix enters the fray with the Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans.
- 2025: The first time an NFL Christmas game was played on a Thursday.
Who Is Playing Next Year?
If you're already looking ahead to 2026, the tradition isn't going anywhere. Because of the Netflix deal, we know for a fact there will be at least one—and likely two—games on the slate for Christmas Day 2026.
Since Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, expect the NFL to treat it like a "Black Friday" event. The league has become much more aggressive about scheduling games on short weeks to fit the holiday windows. We won't know the exact teams until the official schedule release in May 2026, but you can bet the house that the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, or Philadelphia Eagles will be involved. The league loves putting its biggest brands in these high-visibility slots.
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Actionable Tips for the Next Holiday Season
If you're planning your 2026 holiday around the gridiron, here is what you actually need to do to avoid the stress we saw last year.
Check your subscriptions early. Don't be the person trying to reset a Netflix password five minutes before kickoff while your uncle yells in the background. The NFL has split these games across Netflix and Amazon Prime, so you’ll likely need both.
Prepare for the "spoiler" lag. Streaming is always 30 to 60 seconds behind a live cable feed or a betting app. If you have score alerts turned on your phone, you’ll know the touchdown happened before you see it on screen. Turn off those notifications at noon.
Watch the injury reports for "Short Week" stars. Christmas games often follow a Sunday game, meaning players have very little recovery time. This leads to more "third-stringer" scenarios, like we saw in 2025 with the Commanders and Chiefs. If you're a bettor or a fantasy player, the Christmas slate is notoriously unpredictable because of the fatigue factor.
The transition of Christmas from an NBA day to an NFL day is basically complete. It’s no longer a question of if football will be on, but rather how many screens you'll need to keep up with it.
Keep an eye on the official NFL schedule release in mid-May. That is when the 2026 matchups will be set in stone. Until then, you can count on the Friday Christmas in 2026 being a massive TV event.