NFL Christmas Day games: Why do US sports play on 25 December?

The NFL has experimented with alternative broadcasts (or ‘altcasts’) to appeal to younger audiences, and the NBA is following its lead.

This Christmas will feature the first animated presentation of an NBA game, but the NFL says its coverage will be “a must-see cultural and global event”.

Mariah Carey used to record a performance of her festive hits for the NBA on Christmas Day. This year she has done so for the NFL.

Beyonce will also perform a half-time show during the second game in Houston, at about 22:45 GMT. Taylor Swift could even attend the first as her partner Travis Kelce will be playing for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It is the latest step by Netflix following its strategic switch to “tap into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more”.

“There are no live annual events – sports or otherwise – that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts,” added Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria.

Netflix made its first foray into live boxing with last month’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, which was marred by technical issues.

Netflix said the fight peaked at 65 million concurrent streams, from its 282.3 million subscribers.

A surge is expected for Beyonce’s half-time show, and the NFL is excited about how many switch on.

If the service holds up, maybe it will become a global tradition.