NFL Christmas Day Games: From Rare Occurrences to Annual Traditions
For much of its history, the National Football League (NFL) treated Christmas Day as a day of rest rather than a day of competition. Unlike Thanksgiving, which always falls on a Thursday and has long been a staple of the league's schedule, Christmas is a floating holiday that can land on any day of the week. This unpredictability led the league to avoid scheduling games on December 25 for decades. However, since 2020, the NFL has embraced the holiday, making Christmas Day games an annual occurrence regardless of which day of the week the holiday falls on.
As of the 2025 season, there have been 35 Christmas Day games in NFL history, all of which have been broadcast nationally. The frequency of these games has increased significantly in recent years, evolving from occasional matchups to multi-game holiday slates.
ไม่มีภาพประกอบKey Facts
- Annual Tradition: Since 2020, the NFL has scheduled at least one game every Christmas Day.
- Total Games: There have been 35 Christmas Day games recorded through the 2025 season.
- Broadcast Reach: All Christmas Day NFL games are broadcast nationally.
- Game Frequency: Starting in 2022, the league began scheduling three games per year on Christmas, with the exception of 2024.
- Historical Outlier: The 1971 Divisional Playoff games were the first major instance of Christmas Day football, which proved unpopular at the time.
The Evolution of the NFL Holiday Schedule
Early Years and the Post-Merger Era
In the early days of professional football, seasons typically concluded in late November or early December. Once schedules were standardized in the 1930s, the NFL Championship Game was usually held in mid-December. The first regulation game played on or after Christmas occurred in 1943, when the NFL Championship was moved to December 26 due to World War II scheduling complications.
From 1943 until the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the league generally avoided Christmas. If the championship game fell on December 25, the NFL preferred to move it to Monday, December 26. The American Football League (AFL) took a different approach; for example, their 1960 championship was moved a full week to New Year's Day to avoid the Christmas Sunday.
The 1971 Divisional Playoffs and Subsequent Avoidance
A significant turning point occurred in 1971 when the NFL held two Divisional Playoff games on Christmas Day. During this era, the regular season lasted only 14 weeks. The decision proved unpopular, leading the league to avoid Christmas Day games for nearly two decades, from 1972 to 1988. Even as the league expanded to a 16-game season in 1978, the NFL continued to schedule playoff games on December 24 or December 26 to steer clear of the holiday.
The Modern Era: 1989 to Present
The NFL began scheduling occasional regular season games on Christmas Day between 1989 and 2019, typically only if the holiday fell on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. The landscape changed permanently in 2020 when the league committed to at least one game every year. This shift has seen the introduction of tripleheaders—days featuring three games—and the use of various streaming and broadcast platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and Nickelodeon.
ไม่มีภาพประกอบHow Holiday Scheduling Works
The NFL adjusts its standard broadcast slate to accommodate the Christmas holiday. The scheduling logic depends on the day of the week:
- Thursday: Games include the standard Thursday Night Football broadcast.
- Sunday: The Sunday Night Football telecast remains, but the usual Sunday afternoon games are moved to Saturday, Christmas Eve.
- Monday: The Monday Night Football broadcast remains. However, the Sunday Night Football game is moved to either Monday afternoon or Saturday, December 23.
Historical Game Summary
| Season | Visiting Team | Score | Home Team | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Dallas Cowboys | 20–12 | Minnesota Vikings | Divisional Playoff |
| 1971 | Miami Dolphins | 27–24 | Kansas City Chiefs | Longest NFL game |
| 2005 | Chicago Bears | 24–17 | Green Bay Packers | Bears–Packers rivalry |
| 2022 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 19–16 (OT) | Arizona Cardinals | Three-game slate |
| 2024 | Kansas City Chiefs | 29–10 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Netflix broadcast |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the NFL avoid Christmas games for so long?
The league avoided Christmas because the holiday often falls on days when the NFL does not normally schedule games. Unlike Thanksgiving, which is always a Thursday, the shifting date of Christmas made scheduling difficult and potentially unpopular with fans and players.
How many games are played on Christmas now?
Since 2022, the NFL has typically scheduled three games on Christmas Day, though this has varied (for example, two games were scheduled in 2024).
Which teams have the most success on Christmas Day?
As of the 2025 season, the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all hold perfect 1.000 winning percentages, having won the single games they have played on this day.
What is the "Nickmas" broadcast?
The "Nickmas" broadcast is a youth-oriented alternative broadcast on the Nickelodeon network, which has been used for Christmas games, such as the 2022 and 2023 matchups.
Where can I watch NFL Christmas games?
Christmas games are broadcast nationally across various platforms, including Fox, CBS, NBC, ABC, ESPN, Netflix, Prime Video, and Nickelodeon.