Netflix announced Beyoncé will be performing live at the halftime for the Ravens-Texans game on Wednesday, December 25.
Mariah Carey may be synonymous with Christmastime, but Netflix and Beyoncé are hoping to throw their cowboy hats in the ring. As Thanksgiving is fast approaching and Christmas is upon us, NFL Christmas Gameplay is hoping to be a new holiday tradition. Netflix announced that Beyoncé will take the field as the halftime performer during the special broadcast, streaming live on Netflix on Wednesday, December 25. The performance will take place during the second of Netflix’s two Christmas Day games, as the Houston Texans host the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium at 4:30 PM ET.
The announcement was initially made yesterday on November 17th, but more details have been provided. Beyoncé will be performing songs from her genre-bending and record-breaking album Cowboy Carter. The entire halftime show will be brought to life by the creative forces of Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment in collaboration with Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Beyoncé is no stranger to the NFL stage: She headlined Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana, joined onstage by fellow Destiny’s Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. And, at Super Bowl 50 in 2016, she joined Coldplay and Bruno Mars on the field for one of the most-watched Super Bowl halftime shows of all time, with 115.5 million households tuning in. Although the details of her NFL Christmas Gameday performance live on Netflix are currently under wraps, Beyoncé is expected to bring along some special guests who are featured on the Cowboy Carter album.
Netflix is the international home of the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games: The Super Bowl LVII-winning Kansas City Chiefs will face the Pittsburgh Steelers live on Netflix at 1p.m. ET; then at 4:30 PM ET, the Baltimore Ravens will take on the Houston Texans. But long time fans will still be able to catch the TV broadcast in competing team cities and be available on U.S. mobile devices with NFL+. Part of this major announcement, Netflix also announced they will be broadcasting games for 2025 and 2026.
The red streamer hopes this partnership with the NFL will only strengthen, as it has over the years. It began with the hit series Quarterback in 2023. In July, Netflix released Receiver, which follows five of the NFL’s best pass catchers through the 2023 season: Davante Adams (Raiders), Justin Jefferson (Vikings), George Kittle and Deebo Samuel (of the 49ers), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions).
“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.”
The NFL Christmas games tradition has been around for decades, and is one of the league’s biggest events of the year next to the Super Bowl. It began in 1971 before bringing them back on a semiregular basis in 1989. Since 2020, they’ve been a holiday staple with last year’s three Christmas games ranking among the top 25 most-viewed TV programs of 2023; the Raiders vs. Chiefs match (yes, Taylor Swift and Santa Claus attended) drew the highest Christmas Day viewership since 1988. So, it is understandable that this is a big deal for both Netflix and the NFL. More details can be found on the official Tudum website.
