Netflix announces a halftime performer for its Christmas Day NFL game
By Max Weisman
Forget about the buffering, here's a distraction! After there were some issues with Netflix's broadcast of the Mike Tyson Jake Paul fight, the streaming service is announcing an addition to its Christmas Day NFL games. Netflix announced that 32-time Grammy Award winner Beyoncé will perform at halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game in Houston. Beyoncé herself confirmed with a video posted to X.
Beyoncé has performed at two Super Bowl halftime shows in the past. Netflix added that she is expected to invite special guests to perform with her, with fans speculating that she'll invite the rest of Destiny's Child on stage, much like she did at halftime of Super Bowl 47.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - 12.25.24 pic.twitter.com/8LHN2uvwma
— BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) November 18, 2024
Netflix is continuing its foray into airing live events. The streaming service will exclusively broadcast the game between the Ravens and Texans at 4:30 on Christmas as well as the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers game at 1.
Fans have been concerned about the quality of the broadcast after countless viewers experienced buffering during the Tyson-Paul fight. Netflix says 60 million people watched the fight Friday night and while the Christmas games likely won't reach that number, fans are rightly concerned about experiencing buffering.
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“This unprecedented scale created many technical challenges, which the launch team tackled brilliantly by prioritizing stability of the stream for the majority of viewers,” Netflix Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said about the Tyson-Paul fight. “We don’t want to dismiss the poor experience of some members, and know we have room for improvement, but still consider this event a huge success.”
Hopefully, Netflix works out those technical challenges before Christmas. Imagine the backlash they'd get if the stream buffers during an important play.
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