Packers-Lions makes NFL history as most-streamed regular season game
By Joe Lago
Amazon Prime continues to prove that NFL fans are unbothered by live-stream-only games. Last Thursday night's NFC North showdown between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions was the latest greatest example.
Detroit's 34-31 walk-off home victory against Green Bay made NFL history as the most-streamed regular-season game with an average audience of 17.29 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The dramatic Lions victory capped by Jake Bates' 35-yard field goal as time expired smashed Amazon Prime's previous "Thursday Night Football" record by over 1 million viewers.
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The game also set a new mark with a peak audience of 18.87 million viewers.
Lions-Packers on Thursday Night Football was the most-streamed regular season game in NFL history.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 9, 2024
The game averaged 17.29 million viewers, shattering Prime Video's previous record by more than a million viewers. pic.twitter.com/phEn9KGYYR
The Packers-Lions numbers continue the 2024 breakout of Amazon Prime. Its Thursday night games are averaging 13.61 million viewers, which is a year-over-year increase of 9% and 15% higher than last year's full-season average of 11.86 million. It's also a 42% jump from 2022, when TNF on Prime drew 9.58 million viewers per game in its inaugural season.
Amazon's NFL success also is further proof that a streamer can capably carry big sporting events.
Netflix received backlash for its buffering-plagued Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson mega fight last month, but the scrutiny will be even more intense when the company streams the NFL's Christmas Day doubleheader — Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. ET and Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET.
"There is money and reputation at stake, and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression," wrote Richard Deitsch, the media columnist for The Athletic. "Both entities will be crushed by NFL fans if Christmas brings buffering and dropped streams."
Netflix's NFL broadcast crew will include studio host Kay Adams, ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, NFL Network analyst Manti Te'o, former ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III and former NBC Sports analyst Drew Brees, according to Front Office Sports.
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is adding Kay Adams, Robert Griffin III, Mina Kimes, Manti Te’o, and Drew Brees to its Christmas Day NFL doubleheader, sources tell FOS.@MMcCarthyREV's story ⬇️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) December 9, 2024
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