On paper, the NFL\u2019s 2025 Christmas Day schedule looked to be stacked. But Sunday\u2019s slate of games was about the worst-case scenario for Netflix and Prime Video, the two streaming services with NFL games scheduled for the holiday.<\/p>\n
Christmas Day kicks off with a doubleheader on Netflix<\/a>, and the streamer\u2019s executives must\u2019ve been giddy when they found out the teams prior to the season. The viewership darling Dallas Cowboys will take on their division rival Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. ET. That game will be followed up by another division rivalry, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, at 4:30 p.m.<\/p>\n It\u2019s certainly hard to complain about having the Dallas Cowboys in a standalone holiday window, but the team\u2019s loss to the Vikings on\u00a0Sunday Night Football this weekend sent their postseason hopes crashing to about a 1% probability<\/a>. The Commanders, of course, have struggled mightily all year after an unexpected run to the NFC Championship Game last season. This game had all the makings of a critical NFC East battle when the schedule was released, but now amounts to background noise as Americans check out what\u2019s in their stockings.<\/p>\n Netflix\u2019s late-afternoon game offers a bit of meaningful football. The Lions are very much still in the thick of the NFC playoff picture, so this game will be high stakes for Dan Campbell and Co. The Vikings are out of postseason contention, but at least have proven competitive again after J.J. McCarthy\u2019s return from injury. Out of the three Christmas Day games, this one is lining up to be the best.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Prime Video\u2019s\u00a0Thursday Night Football game to cap off the Christmas festivities. This is the game that took the biggest hit in quality on Sunday. What once looked like a game that could decide the AFC West earlier in the season is now a sad reminder of what could have been for football fans looking for an entertaining game to cap off their holiday. The Denver Broncos will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at 8:15 p.m. And as of Sunday, the Chiefs are completely eliminated from postseason contention and lost superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to an ACL tear.<\/p>\n Luckily for Prime Video, the Broncos will still likely be competing for a first-round bye in the AFC, making the game meaningful for at least one side. But compared to what this game could have been, Amazon\u2019s sports execs have to be a bit disappointed in how the season played out.<\/p>\n