• by Danielle Oster , December 24, 2024

Netflix will make its NFL live streaming debut tomorrow as four teams take the field for its “NFL Christmas Gameday” extravaganza: the Kansas City Chiefs against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens against the Houston Texans.

Produced by CBS Sports, the broadcast will also include a host of musical guests and celebrity announcers, including a pre-game performance by Mariah Carey and half-time show by Beyoncé. Netflix is also stacking the lineup with on and off-field announcers with ties to Netflix content, including comedians Bert Kreischer and Nate Bargatze.

To promote the event, Netflix staged another, thematically appropriate first: the first Netflix blimp.  Over the last month, the blimp flew over seven cities with NFL teams, or with teams nearby, including Houston, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Nashville.

Netflix also engaged in event marketing efforts on the ground, deploying hot cocoa trucks at a series of NFL, NBA, NHL, and NCAA football games in Atlanta Dallas, and Houston. The streaming service also invited fans to enter to win prizes including tickets to the NFL’s Christmas Day games, and a free year of Netflix. Netflix shared content generated from the event activations on itd social media pages.

Netflix also turned to its talent roster for a series of promotional videos hyping the big event, while simultaneously promoting upcoming content. William Zabka and Ralph Macchio, stars of Netflix’s hit series “Cobra Kai,” picked their respective teams for the Dec. 25 matchups in one 60-second ad -- and find they’re at odds with each other. Another  spot features Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, who star in the upcoming Netflix action comedy “Back in Action,” scheduled for a Jan. 17 release. Netflix also shared  “A Cowboy Carter Christmas” promotional video on its social media channels hyping the half time show performance by Beyoncé.

Netflix also secured several brand partnerships tied to the Christmas games: Verizon is kickoff sponsor and official partner for pre-kickoff segments. And FanDuel is “exclusive pregame sportsbook betting partner” for its NFL programming, which will include a an in-show feature in which Netflix talent offers “analysis and predictions aligned to FanDuel’s wagering odds for the games,” according to the brand.