Streaming shattered records on Christmas Day 2025, capturing 54% of all U.S. TV viewing — the second time ever it surpassed 50% in a single day, according to new Nielsen data.
Axios was first to report historic NFL games on Netflix and Amazon, plus Netflix's drop of new "Stranger Things" Season 5 episodes, drove the surge.
Netflix's broadcast of the Lions-Vikings matchup became the most-streamed NFL game in U.S. history, averaging 27.5 million viewers. It peaked over 30 million, with Snoop Dogg's holiday halftime show averaging 29 million. The Cowboys-Commanders game on Netflix averaged 19.9 million viewers.
Combined, Netflix and Prime Video accounted for 22.5% of total TV viewership that day.
Streaming generated 55.1 billion viewing minutes on Christmas — up 8% from the previous Christmas record in 2024.The only prior day streaming exceeded 50% was December 13, 2025 (50.4%).
This milestone highlights how Big Tech and streamers are gaining ground through exclusive sports rights, original hits, and holiday programming.