SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " christmas day " 54 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Sign in to save shuffle history.
Commanders shutting down QB Jayden Daniels for rest of season
With Washington out of the playoff picture, backup Marcus Mariota is scheduled to start for the final three games of the season, including a Christmas day matchup against the Cowboys.
Jimmy Kimmel Delivers Scathing Christmas Day Message: ‘Tyranny Is Booming’
'We won, the President lost...'
2026 NFL Christmas Games: Schedule, Teams, How to Watch
See the complete 2026 NFL Christmas Day schedule, including matchups, kickoff times, TV channels and streaming information for all three games.
Streaming’s Biggest Show Returns…and a Buzzy Genre Struggles
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) Obviously, the big news of the week (if not month) is Netflix letting go of executive Bela Bajaria, their chief content officer. I’m going to cover this in my next “Most Important Story of the Week”, but I also have a data angle that I might publish before then. (Too much news this month, am I right?) But first, I have a bonus Streaming Ratings Report issue for you. Today’s article is a bit of a grab bag of topics I’ve wanted to write about, but couldn’t squeeze into the (already very long) Streaming Ratings Report issues. The NFL drives huge viewership numbers, so I’ve got a look at that. A whole bunch of TV shows returned to the traditional broadcast channels, and I have thoughts. And I have a quick look at adult animated shows, since a couple flopped earlier this month. Plus, the Emmys aired earlier this month, and we got some fun data bout how popular those nominated shows are and why I’m not optimistic about the show’s future. That’s a lot, so let’s dive right in. Subscribe Sports - Football Remains the King of Streaming Over the last two Streaming Ratings Reports, I sorta ignored the biggest “show” each week. (I was tempted to say “piece of content” but I know that word bugs folks.) In my database, I call these “specials”, and they sure are special. I speak of the king of American TV: football!!! Streaming football is back and, unlike some other sports, it routinely dominates all viewership. Probably the best way to show this is to update one of my favorite graphics, the “40 Million Hour Club”1 since football games have joined that club each week they’ve premiered: (Yep, that’s the data through 28-Sep, the first four weeks of the season. As a reminder, I take the average minute audience provided by Nielsen, factor out a percentage of linear TV viewers in home markets, and multiply the run time by the three-hour runtime.) Again, the numbers are huge. Let’s start with Netflix. They grabbed the rights to the bonus opening week NFL Kickoff game (which was on YouTube last year) and it put up 18.5 million viewers on average. That nets out to 47.4 million hours of estimated streaming hours. That’s good! Though, notably, it’s well below Christmas Day games from previous years. Compared to other streamers/broadcasters, that’s a bit of a mixed result. On one hand, Netflix’s 18.5 million average is about what YouTube claimed last year, though Nielsen used a bespoke methodology at that time, so I trust this viewership figure more. So that’s good. (The game also shifted from a Friday to a Thursday and that could have helped the viewership as well.) And Netflix continues to best Prime Video in total viewership—as you’ll see next—though Netflix has had much higher-profile (opening week and Christmas Day) games. NBC/Peacock’s opening game the night before averaged 25.1 million average viewers, which is just much bigger than Netflix (or Prime Video). That’s the big caveat to all streaming viewership records: even in success, they can’t compete with traditional linear TV. Previously, I called this my “hierarchy of viewership”, and the data keeps supporting that thesis. The downside for NBC is that this game’s viewership was down compared to previous years, though it may be a counting issue. Here’s a great chart from Sports Media Watch: Indeed, looking at all the opening week games across all windows, Netflix still lags the other primetime windows, but does well compared to the afternoon games: I saw a few folks make the case that streamers still lag traditional broadcasters in reach, and I’d add they really lag compared to “broadcast plus streaming” options like NBC/Peacock, ESPN/Disney+ and CBS/Paramount+. The best data I saw for this came from Samba TV, who charted reach through the 2025 season, and, wow. (Samba TV’s numbers are historically lower than Nielsen’s, so don’t compare their household figures to Nielsen’s hours, but use them as a proxy for the relative reach of the streamers.) The good news is Prime Video is NOT having a down year. Their opening Thursday Night Football game reached 18.6 million viewers (about what Netflix got), but that’s a high for Prime Video on Thursdays and the biggest Thursday night game since 2015. The TNF games the weeks of 21-Sep and 28-Sep continued this streak, getting 43.1 (16.8 million average viewers) and 42.5 total hours (16.6 million average viewers), which were both up from last year. Still, that continues the (typical) season slide: (For those new-to-streaming-football-numbers folks, the viewership declines for Thursday Night Football as the year goes along.) Overall, it appears as if Prime Video is now part of the “football habit”, be it for customers at home or out at places like bars and restaurants. And its viewership is slowly catching up to broadcast. One last chart shows this. Last season, Nielsen started adding out-of-home viewership to the charts, so I try not to do season-to-season comparisons as I did for the first few years. And while Nielsen added Big Data viewing this year, I’m going to compare the last two seasons. Here’s that chart, which shows the season-over-season gains: When it comes to streaming football, we have to keep a few seemingly contradictory thoughts in our head… First, streaming doesn’t come close to matching broadcast’s reach and, thus, viewership. Second, even with that gap, football is still the biggest “thing” on streaming. It’s very, very popular. Third, while some methodology changes have likely helped Prime Video’s numbers, their viewership does appear to be growing. Lastly, yeah, the NFL started the season off poorly, with week one dragging down the numbers in year-over-year comparisons. However—and again, methodology changes may have helped this—the viewership grew compared to previous seasons over the next couple of weeks. So football is still king. On streaming and off. Television - Adult Animation Continues to NOT Make the Streaming Charts In the last two reports, two adult-animated shows whiffed: Netflix’s animated comedy, Dang! Paramount+’s Sega-video-game-inspired fantasy/comedy, Golden Axe. Neither made the charts, but that’s usually the case for animated shows. I mean, here’s literally every animated show that’s made the Nielsen Original charts since the start of 2025: And one of those shows is G_abby’s Dollhouse_! A kids show! The problem with charts like this is that they don’t give you a sense of how many shows miss the charts. Netflix had at least eleven animated flops, including comedies like Big Mouth (a show everyone assumed was popular in the pre-Streaming Ratings Era), Long Story Short, Haunted Hotel, Mating Season, Strip Law, and Alley Cats, and action shows like Blood of Zeus, Castlevania: Nocturne, Devil May Cry, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. Prime Video had at least six animated misses, two in the same universe (Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss), three more comedies (#1 Happy Family USA, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy and Kevin) and an action show (The Mighty Nein). Disney+ had MCU and Star Wars animated misses (Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, Star Wars: Visions, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, and Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld) but I can’t tell how many of those shows were geared towards adults. HBO Max had Harley Quinn and Hulu had Solar Opposites. None of these shows made the charts! That’s a lot of misses! If I remade the chart with all those misses, here’s how it would look: Listen, I know the counter arguments. First, it’s cheaper to produce animated shows than live action. Fair enough, but with viewership this low, even that cheaper price point starts to not matter. Second, just look at the acquired charts. Hit animated comedies can generate viewership for years! Shows like The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers do really, really well. Fair enough, but streaming has failed to recreate the dynamic that Fox has mastered so well. That’s a problem for streaming still. Television - Emmys! The annual Emmys broadcast was a few weeks ago, and I’ve got data on how the nominees performed on streaming, plus hot takes on this year’s viewership (and the big news about the broadcast’s, er, streamcast’s future). We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… The top Emmy-nominated shows… ...why I’m worried about the future of the Emmys telecast... ...the pros of broadcast television ...and the cons... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, we’ve got a double issue (since the weeks of 21-Sep and 28-Sep were so light), but then I’ll be all caught up after a deluge of streaming ratings data from Nielsen in September. In the meantime, I’m going to try to take a look at Netflix’s stats to explain why Bela Bajaria is out. But even light weeks give me plenty to talk about. The Great British Baking Show returns to Netflix and Apple TV has a buzzy new star-studded comedy. And Netflix has a controversial-but-appears-to-be-popular new game show. Plus big films like Toy Story 5, Backrooms and The Breadwinner head to streaming. And is East of Eden a hit? After that, The Kardashians return to Hulu, Prime Video has a reboot of Carrie, and Netflix has a horror show, Below. Disclosure Day heads to Peacock, The Housemaid heads to HBO Max_,_ a new Ben Affleck film, Animals, lands on Netflix, and Apple TV has a new John Cena action film based on, checks notes, Hasbro’s Matchbox toys. Okay. Longterm, some interesting TV production news. HBO Max ordered How to Survive Without Me, starring Kaley Cuoco, Joshua Jackson, Ray Romano and Rita Wilson, for fifteen episodes! I love that some streamers (or, at least, HBO Max) are finally ordering TV shows with more than eight episodes. In less wise production news, Landman does not appear to be coming back this year, since it just started production. Frankly, I don’t love this (get your shows out on time) but Landman is so popular, I doubt it matters.
2025 NFL Week 17 Picks: Best Bets for Every Game
Will Hill delivers his best bet for EVERY NFL Week 17 game, beginning with Christmas Day.
LeBron James: Donald Trump accuses Philadelphia 76ers star of moving during national anthem before NBA season opener
President Donald Trump has accused LeBron James of disrespecting the United States after the star continued warming up during the national anthem; watch the 2026/27 NBA season, including the Christmas Day games and the NBA finals, only on Sky Sports.
Chiefs most to blame for Christmas Day loss to Broncos
Here we'll try to look at and discuss the Kansas City Chiefs most to blame for their week 17 loss to the Broncos.
Trump rings in Christmas Day with a flurry of posts denouncing perceived foes and casting doubt on the 2020 election
The president posted on Truth Social over 100 times overnight, also touting his own economic policies and efforts to end foreign wars.
Cowboys vs. Commanders score, live updates: Dallas, Washington face off to open NFL Christmas Day action
Nigeria provided US with intelligence for strikes on Islamist militants, says foreign minister
Strikes against group accused by Donald Trump of attacking Christian communities took place on Christmas Day in country’s north-west
Sports on TV today: What to watch on ESPN, Fox Sports and other channels for Christmas Eve
Here is everything you need to know about watching sporting events on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, including TV and streaming options for games.
Local business owners serve free Christmas meals to Jackson’s unhoused
Two local business owners teamed up to offer hundreds of meals to those in need this Christmas Day.
Steelers vs. Browns, Thursday injury report: Christmas Day update
Here is Thursday’s Week 17 injury report for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Cleveland Browns ahead of their upcoming matchup this Sunday.
The Houston Rockets Will Not Be Playing on Christmas Day
The NBA is starting to release the schedule for the upcoming season. The Christmas Day games will not include the Houston Rockets.
Lions vs. Vikings on Christmas: Detroit eliminated by Minnesota, underscoring NFL's unpredictability
A lot can change in a year. Just ask the Lions and Vikings, whose Christmas Day game was expected to amount to much more.
Cold health alert and weather warnings issued for parts of UK on Christmas Day
Organisers of some Christmas Day and Boxing Day swims have cancelled events due to the weather.
A Grip on Sports: Whenever you think about those folks who have to work Christmas Day, don't forget the athletes who do so to entertain us
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Where were we? Oh, yes. Thinking about gifts, Roberto Duran and the weekend’s TV schedule. Eclectic? Sure. Electric? Nope.
Best Sports Betting Promos for Christmas Day NFL, NBA, and Other Sports Events This Holiday Season
Best Sports Betting Promos for Christmas Day NFL, NBA, and Other Sports Events This Holiday Season.
History-makers Hearts top at Christmas
It's Christmas 1991, Queen are top of the singles charts with Bohemian Rhapsody - and Hearts sit atop the Scottish Premiership table. Now, more than three decades later, Hearts are guaranteed to be number one on Christmas Day. Celtic's 2-1 defeat at Dundee United on Wednesday night means Derek McInnes' side remain six points clear of the defending champions, who have played a game fewer.
Parkrun hopes to beat festive record
Last year, about 1,000 people took part in Worcester Parkrun hon Christmas Day.
Broncos at Chiefs: The No Bull Review
No Bull thoughts, opinions, and analysis on the Denver Broncos’ Christmas Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs
Grotmas Calendar Day 25 – Huron Blackheart strides forth from the Maelstrom
Witness the dark glory of the Christmas Day reveal!
Vikings Fans Are Daydreaming about a Different QB
The Minnesota Vikings played on Christmas Day, defeating the Detroit Lions, so fans got to experience the rest of the […]
Hawks stumble into matchup with surging Knicks
The New York Knicks, riding the momentum of a comeback win on Christmas Day, open a three-game road trip with a stop in Atlanta to play the struggling Hawks on Saturday.
Cowboys fend off rally from surprisingly competitive Commanders, send reeling rivals to Christmas Day defeat
In a game with nothing at stake but pride, the Cowboys and Commanders put on a better-than-expected show to kick off the NFL's Christmas Day slate.
Where is Santa? NORAD, Google Santa trackers are here, where to find them
Christmas Day is almost here, which means Santa Claus is gearing up to put presents under Floridians' trees. Here's how you can track his journey
Doctors at Baptist Health help deliver the best Christmas present to several parents
Baptist Health said close to 10 babies were born on Christmas Day at several of the health system's locations around Northeast Florida.
Photos show Kate Middleton, King Charles, and other royal family members in color-coordinated Christmas looks
British royal family members including Prince William and Kate Middleton attended their annual Christmas Day church service in Sandringham in coordinating outfits.
Bet365 bonus code CBSBET365: Claim $150 in bonus bets for NFL Christmas Day games, Chiefs-Broncos
Bet365 offers a $150 bonus for Christmas Day NFL betting with the bet365 bonus code CBSBET365
Christmas Day sports: Here's a look at the premier matchups on the holiday
The evolution of the Christmas Day sports calendar in the U.S. has given fans a respite if they need a break from family gatherings or just some entertainment while they sip on eggnog.
Five takeaways from Cowboys-Commanders: Taking care of business on Christmas
The Cowboys improved to 3-3 on Christmas Day games with the 30-23 victory over the Commanders in Washington.
Sega co-founder David Rosen dies aged 95
Rosen, who led Sega from the 1960s into the 90s and who died on Christmas Day, was a hugely important figure in the history of arcade and home gaming
When do Detroit Lions play next? Week 17 game vs Vikings on Christmas
Detroit Lions next game will be on Christmas Day vs Minnesota Vikings, one of 3 NFL games on Christmas. Here's start time, TV channel and streaming.
Cowboys vs. Commanders prediction, pick, odds, where to watch, live stream, kickoff time
Dallas and Washington kick off the NFL's Christmas Day action playing for pride.
Lakers hosting 76ers, LeBron James in marquee Christmas Day matchup
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during a game against the New York Knicks on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Madison Square Garden in New York City....
Cowboys-Commanders Preview
This is not exactly what the NFL and Netflix had in mind when they thought they would be getting big-name quarterbacks Jayden Daniels vs. Dak Prescott and a high-stakes matchup of NFC East rivals Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys in the Christmas Day spotlight.
Broncos-Chiefs Fantasy Football Week 17 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
The Broncos and Chiefs meet on Christmas Day - find out which players we plan to start or sit ahead of a pivotal NFL Week 17.
Business owners push back on proposed traffic changes to Second Avenue
After years of closure following the Christmas Day bombing, Second Avenue is finally reopening to the public. But just as the historic downtown corridor begins
Bet365 bonus code CBSBET365: Get $150 in bonus bets for NFL Christmas Day games, Chiefs-Broncos, Vikings-Lions
Bet365 offers a $150 bonus for Christmas Day NFL betting with the bet365 bonus code CBSBET365
New development planned for Nashville’s Second Avenue as area continues rebuilding
Two historic buildings on Nashville’s Second Avenue are slated for a major transformation as the downtown street continues rebuilding nearly six years after the Christmas Day bombing.
Multiple Games Are Releasing For Xbox On Christmas Day, Including An All-Time Classic
Terrible idea, or secretly genius?
More of our favorite 2025 GIFs, plus a Christmas Day watch guide
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. We’re having fun below. For the latest news, check here. We’re back for the real thing this morning on actual Christmas Day. I hope you’re all having a merry time. More GIF gifts, from us to you: The Bounce’s Zach Harper checks in with one of the more aesthetically funny GIFs of the season. That’s Desmond Bane pelting OG Anunoby with a basketball. I’m still laughing. Zach told me this is...
Christmas Day sports: Here's a look at the premier matchups on the holiday
The evolution of the Christmas Day sports calendar in the U.S. has given fans a respite if they need a break from family gatherings or just some entertainment while they sip on eggnog.
'Big Brother' Host Julie Chen Reveals Mickey Lee's Health Condition After Her Death
The Season 27 competitor died at 35 on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day sports on TV: Where to find big holiday games
This year’s major sports TV events on Christmas Day include five NBA games and three NFL games, with games spanning more than 12 hours.
FanDuel promo code: Get $250 in bonus bets for NBA Christmas Day, Lakers-Rockets, Nuggets-Timberwolves
FanDuel offers a $250 bonus for new users
Poll: Who Rules Christmas Day?
Editor's note: Welcome to Athlon Sports' poll of the day, where we ask readers to weigh in on the biggest topic of the day. Thanks for voting, and be sure to sound off in the comment section. NFL fans are still abuzz over the 2026 schedule release.
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Another Christmas Day business burglary
On Christmas Day, we reported on a break-in at WaFd Bank on the north side of The Junction. A check of police records and radio archives also indicated a possible burglary that morning at West Seattle Nursery (5275 California SW; WSB sponsor), but not enough information to confirm one, until we heard back today from owner Marcia Bruno. She tells ...