Netflix Christmas Day NFL streams set US viewership records

Dec 31 (Reuters) – Netflix's Christmas Day National Football League broadcasts set new records, with the Detroit Lions vs the Minnesota Vikings becoming the most-streamed NFL game in the United States, the streaming giant said on Wednesday. The Lions vs Vikings game drew 27.5 million viewers on average in the U.S., with viewership peaking at over 30 million, the company said, citing data from Nielsen. The first game, the Dallas Cowboys vs the Washington Commanders, averaged 19.9 million viewers in the U.S. The NFL is the most popular professional league in the U.S., with games regularly drawing tens of millions of viewers on traditional broadcast networks. CBS's broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day drew 57.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The Netflix broadcasts extend the NFL's push for global dominance. Netflix struck a deal last year to stream the league's games on Christmas Day through 2026. Live sports programming is key to Netflix's push to build out its ad-supported subscription tier, with advertisers paying premium rates for placements during events that attract large, loyal audiences. Netflix said last month that ads on its platform have reached over 190 million monthly active viewers (MAVs) globally. (Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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