Beyoncé has officially revealed that she will be the star of this year's NFL Christmas Day half-time show, as the Houston Texans face off against the Baltimore Ravens. This performance marks the first time she will showcase tracks from her latest album, Cowboy Carter, which made its debut earlier in the year. Running alongside another featured game on the same day, the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, with both games being streamed through Netflix.
Initially unveiled during February's Super Bowl, Cowboy Carter has generated significant buzz, following pre-releases of singles Texas Hold 'Em and 16 Carriages. The album notably features collaborations with artists like Miley Cyrus and Post Malone and ventures into the country genre as part of a planned trilogy that began with her previous work, Renaissance. The album has gained recognition with nominations for the Grammy Awards in 2025, including a nod for Album of the Year, alongside 10 additional nominations, such as best country album and song of the year for Texas Hold 'Em.
Beyoncé took to her social media to announce the half-time show, captivating fans with images of herself catching a football on a classic American car adorned with roses, all the while donning her iconic cowboy hat. Anticipation is building as Netflix hints that the star may bring special guests who contributed to her latest project.
This won't be Beyoncé's first time at a high-profile half-time show; she previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2013 and shared the stage with Coldplay and Bruno Mars in 2016, which holds the record for the most-watched half-time show to date. The tradition of NFL games on Christmas Day has been a staple since the 1980s, further solidifying its place in American culture.
In a forward-thinking move, Netflix has secured a deal to broadcast NFL games until 2026 as part of its strategy to enter the live sports arena. Bela Bajaria, the platform's chief content officer, emphasized the importance of live events, stating, "There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts."
Just recently, Netflix made its first foray into live sports, streaming a boxing match between heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and YouTuber Jake Paul, which amassed interest from over 60 million households worldwide, despite facing some technical setbacks. NFL matchups will still be accessible to fans in competing cities via traditional broadcast TV while also streaming on the NFL+ app in the United States.
NFL executives are enthusiastic about the collaboration with Netflix, recognizing it as a way to broaden domestic and international audiences. "We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Netflix, a service whose biggest day of the year is typically Christmas, to grow this event globally for NFL fans," stated Hans Schroeder, the NFL's executive vice president of media distribution.
