Christmas used to be for the NBA. That's just how the sports calendar worked for decades. You’d open presents, eat some ham, and watch LeBron or Steph Curry do their thing while the NFL stayed in its lane. But that tradition basically died in 2024.
Honestly, the NFL just took over the holiday. Even though December 25, 2024, fell on a Wednesday—a day the league usually avoids like the plague—they didn't care. They scheduled a massive doubleheader and put the whole thing on Netflix. It was a gamble. It was controversial. And it was arguably the biggest thing to happen to sports broadcasting in years.
If you weren't glued to your screen, you missed some serious history. We saw Lamar Jackson break records that felt untouchable and Patrick Mahomes lock down a top seed while the rest of us were still picking up wrapping paper.
The Netflix Experiment and the Beyoncé Factor
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Netflix. This was the first time football games on christmas day 2024 were exclusively streamed on a platform most people use for Stranger Things marathons. People were skeptical. Would the stream lag? Would Grandma be able to find the game?
It turns out, everyone found it.
Netflix reported that these games averaged over 30 million global viewers. That is a staggering number for a digital-only broadcast. But the real "water cooler" moment wasn't even a touchdown. It was Beyoncé.
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Performing during the halftime show of the second game in Houston, she essentially broke the internet. The "Beyoncé Bowl" peaked at over 27 million simultaneous viewers. For a few minutes, nobody was even talking about the score. They were talking about the production value and the fact that a halftime show finally felt like a Super Bowl event in the middle of the regular season.
Chiefs vs. Steelers: Mahomes Keeps Giving
The early game kicked off at 1:00 PM ET in a freezing Acrisure Stadium. The Kansas City Chiefs were looking to solidify their dynasty, and they did exactly that. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10.
Patrick Mahomes was, well, Mahomes. He threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns. No interceptions. Just clinical, efficient football that reminded everyone why the Chiefs are always the team to beat. Travis Kelce had a huge day too, grabbing eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown.
The Steelers? It was a rough one for them.
Russell Wilson was under siege the entire afternoon. The Chiefs' defense, even without star Chris Jones, racked up five sacks. Wilson struggled to move the chains, and the Steelers' only touchdown came on a desperate 1-yard scramble. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Mike Tomlin was punting on fourth-and-short just to end the misery. The win officially secured the AFC’s No. 1 seed for Kansas City, giving them a first-round bye.
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Ravens vs. Texans: Lamar’s Record-Breaking Night
The late game was supposed to be a tight rematch of the previous year’s playoffs. Instead, it was a clinic. The Baltimore Ravens absolutely dismantled the Houston Texans 31-2.
Yes, you read that score right. Two points for Houston.
The Texans' only points came from a safety when they tackled Derrick Henry in his own end zone. After that? Total silence from the Houston offense. C.J. Stroud was sacked five times and looked completely out of sync against a Ravens defense that seemed to be playing with twelve men on the field.
But the story of the night was Lamar Jackson.
Lamar didn't just win; he made history. During the game, he officially broke Michael Vick’s record for the most career rushing yards by a quarterback. He finished the night with 87 yards on the ground and two passing touchdowns. Watching him run for a 48-yard score in the third quarter was one of those "how do you even stop this guy?" moments.
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Derrick Henry also did Derrick Henry things. He put up 147 rushing yards and a touchdown, breaking the Ravens' single-season rushing TD record.
Why the 2024 Christmas Slate Was Different
A lot of people complained about the "Wednesday" factor. Usually, players hate short weeks, and fans worry the quality of play will dip. But the NFL was smart here. They gave these four teams a specific schedule the week prior to ensure they weren't playing on two days' rest.
It worked.
The games didn't feel sloppy. They felt like high-stakes playoff previews. We saw two of the best teams in the AFC (Ravens and Chiefs) flex their muscles, and we saw how much the gap has widened between the elite and the "just okay" teams like the Steelers and Texans.
The "Netflix-only" aspect is also a sign of things to come. If you're a football fan, you've basically got to accept that your Sunday Ticket or basic cable package isn't enough anymore. You're going to need a login for everything.
Actionable Insights for Next Season
If you're planning your holiday around football in the future, keep these things in mind:
- Check your subscriptions early. Don't wait until kickoff to realize you don't have the right app. The NFL is moving more games to streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime.
- The "Home Field" Myth. In 2024, both home teams (Steelers and Texans) got crushed. Don't assume the holiday crowd will save a struggling offense.
- The MVP Race often peaks here. Lamar Jackson essentially sealed his MVP case on Christmas Day 2024. These high-profile holiday games carry massive weight with voters.
- Prepare for the "Event" Factor. The NFL isn't just showing games anymore; they're producing shows. Expect more massive musical acts and "Super Bowl-lite" production values for holiday doubleheaders.
The takeaway is pretty simple. The NFL owns Christmas now. Whether it's on a Sunday or a Wednesday, the league has figured out that we’d rather watch a Lamar Jackson scramble than pretty much anything else.