Christmas arrives next week and millions of NFL fans will tune in to America’s most-watched sport exclusively on Netflix. However, according to a new study from RotoGrinders, around a third of football fans have mixed feelings about the streaming giant’s ability to deliver a seamless viewing experience.
Earlier this year, Netflix streamed a fight headlined by Jake Paul and Mike Tyson that was plagued with buffering issues. These issues even led a Florida man to file a class-action lawsuit against the streamer. Due to the millions of streamers watching the fight and technical difficulties, Netflix reached out for help to produce its upcoming slate of NFL games and ensured the league that there wouldn’t be any issues come Christmas Day.
The RotoGrinders survey polled 3,016 passionate NFL fans to gauge their confidence in Netflix’s streaming quality and their desire for more live sports on the platform. The survey asked participants two questions:
- Following the online streaming issues from the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight, how confident are you in the streaming quality on Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day broadcast?
- Do you want to see more NFL, and more live sports, on Netflix?
Survey Highlights
Some key findings highlight the challenges Netflix faces in gaining the trust of football enthusiasts and expanding its live sports offerings. Only 15% of football fans are extremely confident in Netflix’s streaming quality, while a significant 66% express some level of doubt. Additionally, over a quarter of football fans do not want more NFL or any live sports on Netflix. Among specific fan bases, 42% of Kansas City Chiefs fans are not confident in Netflix’s streaming quality.
Fans’ Opinions on Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day Broadcast
When asked about their confidence in Netflix’s ability to stream the NFL Christmas Day games, 20% of fans were not at all confident. Of the 15% of fans who felt extremely confident, another 15% only felt slightly confident. A combined 66% expressed some level of doubt, indicating that Netflix has a significant task ahead to ensure a smooth and reliable broadcast.
| Confidence Level | Percentage of Fans |
| Extremely | 15% |
| Very | 19% |
| Moderately | 31% |
| Slightly | 15% |
| Not at all | 20% |
To ease the minds of fans, Netflix has rolled out a team of all-star on-air talent featuring Drew Brees, Robert Griffin III, Kay Adams, Mina Kimes, Greg Olsen, twins Jason and Devin McCourty, among others. To top off the holiday tradition, Beyonce will perform at halftime in her hometown during the Ravens-Texans game.
Teams Playing on Christmas Express Some Doubt of Netflix’s Streaming Quality
The study also examined the confidence in Netflix’s streaming quality of the fanbases of the four teams taking the field on Christmas Day: Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, and Baltimore Ravens.
An average of 35% of those fans expressed being slightly or not at all confident in Netflix’s streaming quality. Fans of the two-time reigning and defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs were the least confident with 42%. On the flip side, Ravens and Texans fans were 44% and 43%, respectively, extremely or very confident.
Confidence in Netflix’s NFL Christmas Day Broadcast by Team
| Team | Baltimore Ravens | Kansas City Chiefs | Houston Texans | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| # of Team’s Fans Surveyed | 80 | 230 | 60 | 199 |
| Extremely | 24% | 12% | 15% | 17% |
| Very | 20% | 18% | 28% | 21% |
| Moderately | 24% | 28% | 22% | 31% |
| Slightly | 15% | 22% | 13% | 11% |
| Not at all | 18% | 20% | 22% | 20% |
Desire for More Live Sports on Netflix
The survey also explored fans’ interest in seeing more NFL and live sports on Netflix. The results were divided, with about 28% of fans eager for more sports content on the platform. However, 17% strongly opposed the idea, preferring Netflix to focus on its existing streaming offerings. This division highlights the challenge Netflix faces in balancing its traditional content with new live sports ventures.
NFL Fans’ Desire for Netflix to Expand Sports Content
| Response | Percentage of Fans |
| Strongly agree | 28% |
| Somewhat agree | 22% |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 23% |
| Somewhat disagree | 9% |
| Strongly disagree | 17% |
As Netflix prepares for its NFL Christmas Day broadcast, it will be crucial for the streaming service to address these concerns and deliver a high-quality viewing experience. Whether Netflix can win over the hearts of football fans and expand its live sports offerings remains to be seen, but the upcoming games will undoubtedly be a significant test for the platform.
After the NFL on Christmas, Netflix will have to prepare for the launch of WWE Raw on January 6, 2025. If the streaming giant can handle the NFL with no issues then its broadcast of the longest-running weekly episodic program in television history with no reruns should run smoothly.
Fans can stream the NFL, WWE Raw, movies, and shows by joining over 70 million subscribers with Netflix’s Standard with Ads plan for $6.99 per month. Stream Netflix today on your favorite devices.
RotoGrinders Methodology:
To gauge fan sentiment, we partnered with Research Without Barriers – RWB for this survey. Conducted online between November 20th and November 25th, 2024, we reached out to a sample of 3,016 NFL fans from across the U.S.
The research followed the MRS Codes of Conduct (2023) and adhered to the ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. RWB, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, ensured full compliance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act (2018), safeguarding participant data and its integrity.