In the 2024 season, the Christmas Eve tripleheader included a 4:30 p.m. ET game, a 8:15 p.m. ET game, and a 11:30 p.m. ET Sunday Night Football game, all nationally televised. The NFL's Christmas scheduling policy prioritizes divisional and conference matchups to maximize playoff implications, and the league uses the holiday window to drive incremental ratings during a typically low-viewership period in the regular calendar nbc.com.
Revenue, TV Deals, and Holiday Advertising Impact
The NFL's media rights are valued at over $110 billion across the 11-year agreement, with Christmas Eve games contributing to the league's overall broadcast revenue by delivering high ad inventory during a premium holiday audience. Advertisers pay a premium for Christmas Eve slots, with 30-second spots costing significantly more than standard regular-season rates due to the concentrated viewership and limited holiday programming competition.
For the networks, Christmas Eve football drives incremental subscriber engagement and ad revenue, with NBC and its streaming partner Peacock using the games to promote their broader holiday content slate. The NFL also leverages the holiday window to sell out in-stadium attendance and boost local economic activity in host cities, with teams typically reporting higher concession and merchandise sales on Christmas Eve match days forbes.com.
College Christmas Eve Games and Conference Scheduling
Beyond the NFL, college football has occasionally scheduled Christmas Eve games, particularly in the AAC and Conference USA, where teams with bowl eligibility may use the holiday window as a final regular-season contest. The NCAA does not mandate a Christmas Eve game, but conferences may schedule them to fill broadcast windows on networks like ABC, ESPN, or Fox Sports when the holiday falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday ncaa.com.
In the 2024 college football season, a limited number of Christmas Eve games were scheduled, with the AAC featuring a matchup that served as a de facto conference finale for teams competing for bowl bids. These games are typically lower in viewership than NFL Christmas Eve contests but still generate meaningful regional advertising revenue and provide exposure for mid-major programs seeking to grow their brand and fan base ahead of the bowl season espn.com.