The NFL owned Christmas last year. Like literally. They didn’t just outdraw the NBA, they lapped them. And for the Baltimore Ravens, that holiday spotlight couldn’t have gone any better for The Shield.
In front of a global Netflix audience, the Baltimore Ravens didn’t just beat the Houston Texans. They humiliated them. Lamar Jackson played three and a half quarters, scored three touchdowns, broke an all-time NFL record, and spent most of the second half cruising to a playoff-clinching win. Oh, and did we mention Beyoncé performed at halftime?
Everything about their 31-2 evisceration of the Texans was amazing. Jackson shredded the Texans through the air and on the ground, passing Michael Vick as the league’s all-time rushing leader at quarterback. Baltimore’s defense held Houston to zero offensive points, sacked C.J. Stroud five times, and reminded the entire country how good they can be when they're on.
The NFL returning to Christmas gives Ravens a merry opportunity
After the ratings bonanza from last year’s two-game slate, it’s no surprise the NFL is going even bigger this December. With Christmas falling on a Thursday in 2025, the league is bringing back a full tripleheader: two games on Netflix, and one on Amazon (per Mike Florio).
The move makes sense. Ravens-Texans and Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers both pulled in over 24 million viewers even with both games being blowouts. Compare that to the NBA’s top Christmas game barely cracking 7.5 million, and it’s clear the NFL is built different—the NBA could never.
so the NFL is indeed taking Christmas from the NBA
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 1, 2025
the NFL is planning a Christmas TRIPLEHEADER this year (a Thursday) after the success of last year's 2-game Christmas slate:
Game 1: Netflix
Game 2: Netflix
Game 3: Amazon
last year's viewership domination:
24.1M - Chiefs v…
So who should get a spot in this year’s Christmas lineup? Baltimore should be at the top of the list.
Florio further explained the NFL has traditionally avoided scheduling games on Christmas when it falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday. But last year, when the holiday landed on a Wednesday, the league still played two games.
He noted that the NFL is expected to stick with a three-game format whenever Christmas falls on a Thursday through Monday, and the only real question is whether that approach might extend to Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the situation comes up again in 2029 and 2030.
With three games locked in for the 2025 slate, the NFL has no shortage of options to fill those slots. But if we’re talking about delivering viewership, drawing headlines, and putting on a show, the Ravens check every box. They made last year’s game look easy. Maybe giving them an opponent that can actually keep up will make the game even more entertaining.
Baltimore already delivered under the tree once. No reason they can’t do it again.. Might be time to let them run it back.