NFL Christmas Football Games Schedule and Matchups
The NFL schedules games on Christmas Day when the holiday falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday, with the league typically holding doubleheaders or tripleheaders to avoid conflicts with regular-season finales. The 2024 Christmas slate featured three games: the Cleveland Browns hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers at 12:30 p.m. ET, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Detroit Lions at 4:30 p.m. ET, and the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens in the primetime tripleheader at 8:20 p.m. ET, with all three games aired across NBC, CBS, and NFL Network according to the league's official broadcast plan. The 2023 Christmas tripleheader included the Chicago Bears versus the Green Bay Packers, the Buffalo Bills versus the New York Jets, and the San Francisco 49ers versus the Seattle Seahawks, drawing an average of roughly 21 million viewers across the three games as reported by NFL communications and Nielsen data. For the 2025 season, the league will announce the Christmas schedule as part of its regular-season release, typically confirming the tripleheader format and broadcast partners several weeks before the holiday. NFL Official Site
Historically, Christmas Day games have been a staple of the NFL schedule since the league's early years, with the first widely recognized Christmas game taking place in 1971 when the Dallas Cowboys hosted the Baltimore Colts. The NFL has continued the tradition in most seasons since then, using the holiday to showcase marquee matchups and provide fans with a full slate of football action during the final weeks of the regular season. The Christmas games often feature AFC North and NFC North rivalries, as well as high-stakes playoff-race matchups, with the league prioritizing competitive balance and regional interest when assigning teams to the holiday. Forbes Sports Business
Broadcast Partners, Streaming, and Revenue Impact
The NFL's Christmas games are distributed across its broadcast partners, with NBC, CBS, and NFL Network sharing the tripleheader, and streaming on Peacock, Paramount+, and NFL+ depending on the package and region. The 2024 Christmas tripleheader generated significant advertising revenue, with advertisers paying a premium for slots during the primetime matchup, reflecting the holiday's status as one of the most-watched sports days of the year. The league's broadcast deals with NBC, CBS, and Amazon collectively value the Christmas window as a key part of the regular-season calendar, with the tripleheader format maximizing inventory and viewer engagement across platforms. NBC Sports
Streaming platforms have expanded access to Christmas games, with NFL+ and NFL Game Pass offering live and on-demand coverage, and Peacock carrying NBC's portion of the tripleheader for subscribers. The integration of streaming into the Christmas schedule supports the NFL's broader strategy to reach cord-cutters and international audiences, with the league reporting continued growth in digital and streaming viewership during holiday windows. Amazon's Thursday Night Football package, while not typically overlapping with Christmas, complements the holiday slate by maintaining a consistent football presence throughout December. Peacock Streaming
Team Performance and Historical Christmas Game Results
The Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and Kansas City Chiefs have each appeared in multiple Christmas Day games, with the Packers and Bears holding the most frequent holiday appearances due to their historic rivalry and late-season scheduling. The 2024 Christmas tripleheader saw the Chiefs defeat the Ravens in a close contest, while the Browns edged the Steelers and the Packers bested the Lions, with each game featuring late-game drama and playoff implications for the teams involved. The NFL tracks team performance on Christmas Day as part of its broader historical data, noting that home teams