Posted in: Netflix, NFL, Sports, TV | Tagged: John Cena, netflix, nfl, Santa Claus

Netflix Has "Santa Cena" to Thank for Getting NFL Christmas Gameday

Santa Claus (John Cena) stresses the league's "wish list" for the holiday in this opener to Netflix's NFL Christmas Gameday pregame show.

When Netflix announced that it would be live-streaming two NFL games on Christmas Day, the streamer made it clear that it wanted to begin a holiday football tradition – and they're kicking things off in a very big way. Netflix's NFL Christmas Day includes a two-game bill that sees the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers, followed by the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Houston Texans. In addition, we've got Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, comedians Bert Kreischer and Nate Bargatze, and a whole lot more big things lined up. In fact, to kick things off heading into the pregame show, we had a chance to check in on Santa Claus – who looks strikingly like John Cena – getting stressed out over what was on the NFL's Christmas "wish list" (two games) and lamenting the lack of fireplaces and chimnies these days. Thankfully, Mrs. Claus (Caroline Boulton) was there to be the voice of reason  – and someone who is up on how things work these days.

With Dule Hill narrating, here's a look at the opening video package to today's NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix:

NFL Christmas Gameday Viewing Guide: Chiefs/Steelers; Ravens/Texans

Here's a rundown of what you need to know about Netflix's NFL Christmas Gameday – including a rundown of who's hosting and who will be doing play-by-play, some fun previews of what's to come, and much more!

Who's Playing, When & What Time Is Kick-Off? Both games are taking place on Christmas Day (December 25th):

Netflix's "NFL Christmas Day" Pregame Show: 11 am ET.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers kicks off at 1 pm ET.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans kicks off at 4:30 pm ET.

How Can I Stream the Games? You need a Netflix subscription (the games are included with all subscriber plans) and a log-in—after that, you're set! In addition, both games will be broadcast locally in each of the home and away team markets for their respective games. If you have an NFL+ subscription, you will also be able to stream the games via the NFL mobile app.

How Long After The Games Stream Can I Watch Them? If you're in the U.S., then you have three (3) hours after the livestream ends. If you're outside of the U.S., the games expire 24 hours after the livestream ends.

Who's Set to Perform During Netflix's "NFL Christmas Gameday"? In terms of the National Anthem, Voices of Service will perform at the Chiefs vs. Steelers game, while Pentatonix (Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Kirstin Maldonado, Kevin Olusola, and Matt Sallee) will perform at the Ravens vs. Texans game. Of course, how could we forget our major headliners:

Mariah Carey: Netflix's big gameday will kick off with Mariah Carey offering a new pre-recorded rendition of her Christmas staple, "All I Want for Christmas Is You."

Beyoncé: That's right, global phenomenon Beyoncé will be headlining the halftime show of the Ravens vs. Texans game.

Who Will Be the Pregame Show Hosts & On-Air Commentators for Netflix's "NFL Christmas Gameday"? Everything gets underway beginning at 11 am EST with the live pregame show from NFL Network's studios in Los Angeles and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Here's a look at who you can expect to see at each location (with the pregame team returning during halftime of both games):

Los Angeles: Kay Adams, anchor and host of Up & Adams; Drew Brees, former Super Bowl-winning quarterback; Robert Griffin III, former NFL quarterback; Manti Te'o, former NFL linebacker and NFL Network analyst; Mina Kimes, NFL analyst at ESPN.

Pittsburgh: Laura Rutledge, host at ESPN; Devin McCourty, NFL analyst at NBC; Jason McCourty, NFL analyst at ESPN and CBS Sports.

In addition, comedian Bert Kreischer will serve as a tailgate correspondent, and comedian Nate Bargatze will provide special guest commentary. Ian Rapoport, the NFL Network's Insider, will be on hand for breaking news, and former NFL official Gene Steratore has joined the team as a rules analyst across both games.

Did we mention that there was going to be a blimp? Take a second to appreciate it and then join us on the other side:

Chiefs vs. Steelers On-Air Commentators: Ian Eagle, play-by-play announcer at CBS Sports, will be the play-by-play commentator. Nate Burleson, former NFL wide receiver and analyst on The NFL Today and CBS Mornings co-host, and JJ Watt, former NFL defensive end and CBS Sports analyst, will provide color commentary. Reporting from the sidelines are CBS Sports sideline reporter Melanie Collins and NFL Network senior national reporter Stacey Dales.

Ravens vs. Texans On-Air Commentators: Noah Eagle, a play-by-play announcer at NBC Sports, and Greg Olsen, an analyst at FOX Sports, will be the play-by-play commentators during the game. Jamie Erdahl, a host at the NFL Network, and Steve Wyche, chief national reporter at the NFL Network, will be reporting from the sidelines.

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