The NFL made a surprising decision to schedule two Christmas games this year, despite initially stating they wouldn’t. This move will introduce a new broadcast partner to the mix, likely being Netflix. According to John Ourand of Puck, Netflix is set to carry the two NFL games planned for December 25, although the deal has not been finalized yet and there are still obstacles to overcome before it is officially announced.
The negotiations with Netflix have caused a delay in the release of the schedule, which was originally set for May 9 but has now been pushed back to May 15. Whether or not the deal with Netflix goes through, or if the games will be marked as “TBD”, is still uncertain at this point.
Reports suggest that the NFL is seeking a significant sum of at least $50 million, potentially up to $100 million, for each of the Christmas games. Acquiring the Christmas audience would be a significant win for Netflix if the deal goes through. Boomer Esiason, who recently left CBS, first brought up the Netflix possibility on Wednesday.