Mariah Carey to open first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 19: Mariah Carey performs her Christmas show at Toyota Center on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Houston. (Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

HOUSTON - On Christmas Day, Netflix will be streaming two NFL games. You will be able to watch the Kansas City Chiefs face the Pittsburgh Steelers at Noon CST and the Houston Texans take on the Baltimore Ravens at 3:30 p.m. CST. And fittingly, because it is Christmas, Mariah Carey will open the show at the first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday Live on Netflix on Dec. 25.

Carey is set to dazzle fans this year with a taped performance of her record-breaking single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Her performance will air ahead of the live games.

(Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

How to Watch the NFL Christmas Gameday Live on Netflix

The games will be broadcast live on Netflix. However, that isn't the only place to watch.

The games will also be broadcast locally on television in each of the home and away team markets, for their respective games.

The games will also be available to stream on mobile with an NFL+ subscription, available through the NFL mobile app.

"Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports, and more," says Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. "There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix."

Who is performing during halftime of the Houston game?

Carey isn't the only superstar to perform that day: Beyoncé will perform in her hometown of Houston during the Ravens-Texans halftime performance.

There appears to be a new holiday tradition starting with Netflix and Beyoncé, as Netflix has announced NFL games for 2025 and 2026.

NFL fans worried after the Paul-Tyson fight buffering debacle

More than 60 million people watched the fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson on Netflix, despite technical issues like problems with buffering. The boxing event was broadcast live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Many streamers weren’t pleased with how the event was buffering throughout the fight card, including the main event when Paul and Tyson entered the ring. It was Netflix’s first massive sporting event.

Netflix, like many other top streaming services, paid around $150 million, according to the New York Post, to air the Christmas Day NFL games. And Netflix themselves admitted that their buffering systems couldn't handle the 60 million around the world who tuned in to watch the fight live.