Next season, the NFL will continue its tradition of Christmas Day games, and this time, they might be streamed on a new platform.
According to John Ourand of Puck, negotiations are underway between the NFL and Netflix to broadcast the league’s two Christmas Day games in 2024 on the streaming service. While there are still some issues to be resolved, sources are optimistic that an agreement will be reached.
The release of the NFL schedule, initially set for May 9, has been postponed to May 15. The delay is primarily due to these ongoing discussions with Netflix.
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The league’s top executives have been in the middle of a high-stakes negotiation with Netflix over its planned Christmas Day games.
And now it looks like Netflix will wind up carrying the two NFL games scheduled for December 25, per a bevy of sources. Yes, yes, yes, this could all fall apart and all the usual caveats—nothing has been signed yet, and the two sides still have to clear some hurdles before any deal is announced. But Netflix’s emergence as a bidder—and likely winner—is one of the main reasons behind the schedule delay.
Boomer Esiason was the first one to talk about Netflix’s Christmas plans on his radio show
Last season, three NFL games aired on Christmas Day, hosted by FOX, ESPN, and ABC, and took place on a Monday. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday in 2024, there was some uncertainty about scheduling games midweek. However, the financial allure is significant, with Netflix potentially offering up to $100 million for the broadcasting rights.
This follows Amazon’s hefty investment in the NFL’s first-ever Black Friday game last season, which proved to be a successful venture. It appears likely that Netflix will soon join in securing a share of the lucrative NFL broadcasting market.
