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Netflix's Lions–Vikings Sets U.S. Streaming Record as NFL Christmas Streams Outdraw NBA

Nielsen’s revised measurement, with expanded out‑of‑home viewing, adds caveats to the NFL’s dominance versus the NBA’s reported reach.

Overview

  • Netflix’s late‑afternoon Lions–Vikings averaged 27.5 million U.S. viewers and peaked above 30 million, the largest U.S. streaming audience ever for an NFL game; Snoop Dogg’s halftime show averaged 29 million.
  • The earlier Cowboys–Commanders game on Netflix drew 19.9 million U.S. viewers, while Prime Video’s Broncos–Chiefs averaged 21.06 million, a record for Thursday Night Football on the platform.
  • Across the day, the NFL’s three games averaged about 22.9 million viewers, compared with roughly 5.5 million per game for the NBA’s five‑game slate on ABC/ESPN.
  • The NBA’s top draw was Spurs–Thunder at 6.71 million, and the league reported a 47.19 million unique reach plus strong social engagement, including 1.6 billion views across platforms per Videocities.
  • All figures reflect Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel methodology with expanded out‑of‑home coverage, and the NFL said it is working with Nielsen to validate a reported 76 million reach figure for its tripleheader.