On Christmas Day 2025, the NFL will once again have two of its holiday matchups on the world's largest streaming service. Netflix is set to stream a full NFC doubleheader on Wednesday, Dec. 25, delivering exclusive football to its global subscriber base.
The holiday action kicks off with an NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders followed by an NFC North clash as the Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings.
Following the previous year's success, the streaming giant is integrating major music performances directly into the game day presentation, highlighted by Snoop Dogg headlining the halftime show during the Lions-Vikings game and Kelly Clarkson kicking off the day's events.
But why did the NFL make the decision to move its exclusive holiday games off of traditional TV? Here’s everything you need to know about the historic streaming deal.
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Why are the NFL's Christmas games on Netflix?
This Christmas marks the second consecutive year that the NFL has made its holiday games exclusive to a streaming platform, fundamentally altering the way millions of fans access the league’s content.
Netflix, eager to enter the live sports market, is reportedly paying around $150 million per year as part of its three-season deal to stream the exclusive Christmas Day games.
This partnership continues the trend established by Amazon's exclusive Thursday Night Football package and Peacock's exclusive wild-card game -- both deals that bring billions of dollars to the league. As more consumers cut the cord on traditional cable and rely on streaming for entertainment, the NFL is placing its most valuable content on these platforms, reaching a global digital audience and ensuring the continued escalation of its media rights value well into the future.
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NFL Christmas schedule 2025
Netflix's exclusive holiday coverage will officially begin on Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2025, at 11 a.m. ET with a dedicated pregame show.
Cowboys vs. Commanders will kick off at 1 p.m. ET and Lions vs. Vikings will follow right after at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The last game of the day is the Denver Broncos vs. The Kansas City Chiefs, which will be on Prime Video.
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How to watch Cowboys vs. Commanders, Lions vs. Vikings
- TV channel: N/A
- Stream: Netflix, NFL+
Two of the NFL's Christmas games, Cowboys vs. Commanders and Lions vs. Vikings, will both air on Netflix. Subscribers with any Netflix plan will be able to watch the games.
Both matchups will, however, be broadcast locally in the TV markets of the home and away teams. Fans can also watch the game through NFL+.
International fans can also watch the game on DAZN.
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