NFL Christmas Game Stream: How to watch live

Who doesn’t love a Christmas ball? The NFL’s still-rare holiday tradition is back for another year in a row — and this time, it’s right there on Thursday. That means three full games instead of the usual two, giving fans a full day of football and celebrations.

This season marks the second year of the NFL’s three-year deal with Netflix to stream Christmas Day games, guaranteeing at least one holiday matchup each year during the deal. And because Christmas falls on a day when the league has already scheduled games, the show gets an extra boost: the third matchup airs on Amazon Prime as a regular feature. Thursday Night Football line up.

This year’s Christmas slate features three divisional contests, a mix of teams already out of playoff contention, one team fighting for the division title, and one clinging to dim postseason hopes. Here’s the full breakdown – and how to watch the entire game:

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

Kicking off the festivities are two of the NFC East’s lowest-ranked teams with little left to play this season. When I wrote the book Thanksgiving live streaming, the Cowboys were trending high, having just beaten the Chiefs who had won three games in a row. At 6-5-1, Dallas still had dim playoff hopes and needed a road win in Detroit to keep them alive. That didn’t happen. Instead, the wheels came off, with two more losses shortly after closing their end.

Now sitting at 6-8-1 and officially out, it’s hard to call Dallas’ season anything but a wash.

In Washington, the year has been very difficult. The Commanders (4-11) are stuck in the NFC East just a few months after making a shocking run to the NFC Championship Game. Injuries have defined their downfall, none more devastating than the repeated setbacks of star sophomore Jayden Daniels. What once looked like a promising succession campaign has turned into a season fans will want to forget.

You can watch this on Netflix at 12 pm CST / 1 pm EST

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings

Here is the NFC North matchup with playoff results – if in reality everything breaks well. The Detroit Lions, once the league’s favorite underdogs turned Super Bowl contenders, are getting a tough reality check this season.

Playing a rare holiday game outside of their traditional Thanksgiving location, the Lions must win to keep even the faintest hopes alive. After finishing last season 15-2, Detroit now sits at 8-7, with injuries and a coaching departure taking much of the bite out of what was once a terrible offense. Since starting 4-1, the Lions have alternated wins and losses almost every week, before finally dropping their first back-to-back games since 2022 with losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Even a Christmas Day win may not be enough. If the Green Bay Packers take care of business on Saturday, Detroit’s season ends successfully. To survive, the Lions will need to beat a Vikings team starting their third-string quarterback, then upset the 11-4 Chicago Bears — coached by a former Detroit coordinator — while hoping the Packers stumble again against that Minnesota team.

In other words, Detroit is losing both edge and wonder.

As for the Vikings, there is very little drama. Minnesota has already been eliminated from playoff contention, and its program built around sophomore quarterback JJ McCarthy, the No. 10 general selection, did not go. A revolving door of injuries has derailed the season early, leaving this comparison more about pride than postseason stakes.

You can watch this on Netflix at 3:30 pm CST / 4:30 pm EST

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

A Christmas Day game in name only, this AFC West matchup could help decide the division crown between the Denver Broncos and — surprisingly — the Los Angeles Chargers. Yes, for the first time since 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs are headed for a losing season, and for the first time since 2014, they will miss the playoffs entirely.

Like the Cowboys, the Chiefs – and the face of the league, Patrick Mahomes – endured a flat year. The offense’s scrimmage and aging defense revealed the possibility that this chapter of the Kansas City dynasty may finally be closing. That suspicion came true in a sectional loss to the Chargers when Mahomes tore his ACL. The injury ended his season and, as it happened late, could jeopardize his availability for the start of next year.

Meanwhile, things couldn’t be looking better in Denver. Following a promising 2024 campaign that culminated in a surprising playoff appearance, the Broncos have taken a significant step forward. Sitting at 12-3, Denver currently leads the AFC West over the 11-4 Chargers and controls its future. A Christmas Day victory over Kansas City, combined with a loss to the Chargers on Saturday, would clinch the Broncos’ first title since 2015 – the final season of the Peyton Manning era.

There’s even an outside chance for Denver to lock up the AFC’s top seed with a little help from elsewhere, but that’s a best-case scenario left to the calculators.

You can watch this on Amazon Prime at 7:15 pm CST / 8:15 pm EST.