Two Holiday Showdowns Land on Netflix This December

NFL Christmas Gameday Netflix is back this year with a holiday doubleheader that places two NFC rivalries at the center of December 25.

Netflix will stream both games live, marking another major step in its growing partnership with the league after its record-setting NFL broadcasts last year.

The return of NFL football on Christmas positions the service as a key player in holiday programming, with two matchups spaced across the afternoon for an all-day viewing window.

Watch the Trailer

Cowboys vs. Commanders Opens NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix

The first game in the NFL Christmas Gameday Netflix lineup kicks off at 1 pm ET from Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland. The Cowboys and the Commanders remain one of the NFC’s most enduring rivalries, and slotting them into the opening game gives the day a high-profile start.

Netflix continues to build continuity around its broadcast teams. Returning talent includes Ian Eagle and Noah Eagle. Kay Adams, Manti Te’o, and Nate Burleson also return as on-air personalities for the event, reinforcing the mix of analysis and storytelling that shaped last year’s coverage.

Lions vs. Vikings Follows in the Afternoon Slot

The second game of the NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix begins at 4:30 pm ET, broadcasting live from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Lions and Vikings meet once again on national television, anchoring the later broadcast window and expanding Netflix’s presence during one of the most-watched holidays of the year.

This year’s talent roster adds new voices to complement the returning team. Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin joins the coverage lineup, as does WWE Superstar Seth Rollins, adding variety to the event’s guest commentary.

Building on Last Year’s Milestones

Last year’s NFL Christmas Gameday Netflix set a high bar. Nielsen reported 65 million U.S. viewers, making the pair of games the most-streamed NFL broadcasts in U.S. history. The average U.S. audience reached 26.5 million viewers, while global averages exceeded 30 million.

These numbers underscored the move toward live sports as a core strategy for streaming platforms. The 2024 broadcasts also generated significant cultural attention thanks to Beyoncé’s halftime performance, which drove additional viewership and made it one of the most talked-about halftime shows of the season.

While this year’s presentation will follow its own course, Netflix maintains partnerships with key broadcast partners. CBS Sports will handle game production, while NFL Media leads pre-game, post-game, and halftime studio coverage.

What NFL Christmas Gameday Netflix Means for Viewers

For Netflix subscribers, the return of NFL Christmas Gameday provides a whole afternoon of holiday football without switching platforms. The twin matchups offer uninterrupted coverage, building toward a long viewing block that mirrors traditional network scheduling.

The event also reflects how Netflix continues to position itself in the live sports landscape, leveraging existing NFL partnerships while expanding its yearly lineup of sports programming.

The Poster

NFL Christmas Gameday Netflix returns with Cowboys vs. Commanders and Lions vs. Vikings on December 25

Key Details

  • Release date: NFL Christmas Gameday streams live on Netflix on December 25, 2025.
  • Matchups: Cowboys vs. Commanders at 1 pm ET; Lions vs. Vikings at 4:30 pm ET.
  • Format: Two live NFL games streamed globally on Netflix.
  • Talent: Ian Eagle, Noah Eagle, Kay Adams, Manti Te’o, Nate Burleson, Michael Irvin, Seth Rollins, and more.
  • Production: CBS Sports produces the games; NFL Media produces studio coverage.
  • Source material: Official NFL programming produced in partnership with Netfli

Emma Armbrüster is Senior Editorial Critic at The Viewer’s Perspective. Based in Veneto, Italy, she specializes in deep-dive narrative analysis and episode-by-episode recaps of premier television, providing an independent vantage point on the modern streaming landscape.

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