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Houston Texans slated for Christmas Day game on Netflix
May 15, 2024, 2:29 pm
Houston will host Baltimore on Christmas Day. Composite Getty Image.
Netflix and the NFL announced a three-year deal Wednesday to stream games on Christmas Day.
The streaming giant will carry two games this year and at least one game in 2025 and ‘26. Netflix announced during a presentation to advertisers that it will have defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City at Pittsburgh followed by Baltimore at Houston.
We'll be home for Christmas 🎁 pic.twitter.com/cHwKKWC3ll
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) May 15, 2024
“Last year, we decided to take a big bet on live — tapping into massive fandoms across comedy, reality TV, sports and more,” Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”
Netflix began airing NFL programming last year with the series “Quarterback." A series on wide receivers will premiere this year.
Netflix began airing live sports last year, but they were exhibition events in golf and tennis. It is also slated to air the July 20 bout between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul and next year will start carrying World Wrestling Entertainment’s flagship show, “Raw.”
The NFL has played a total of 30 games on Christmas Day since 1971, including three last year. It has stayed away from midweek games, though, until this year.
In keeping with the NFL's longstanding policy on games that are carried on cable or streaming platforms, Netflix's Christmas games will air on broadcast TV in the competing teams' home cities and will be available on mobile devices in the U.S. with NFL+.
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Starting pitching sounds like the top trade deadline priority for the Astros. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada joined the club's flagship station on Tuesday and shared his thoughts on some pressing issues facing his team.
Espada said both Kyle Tucker and Justin Verlander are making progress and feeling good. But did not reveal a timetable for when we should expect them to return to game action.
What really stood out in the interview was Espada's concern with the amount of innings his starters have been asked to throw this season. Ronel Blanco has already pitched 114.2 innings, and his velocity is down a tick over his last several starts.
“The health of our players is something I'm aware [of]…it keeps me up at night,” said Espada.
The Astros skipper also spoke about the need for a six-man rotation during a long stretch of games in August. He expects some reinforcements to arrive as the current Houston starters like Blanco and Brown near their innings pitched thresholds.
“I know Dana [Brown] and his staff are doing their due diligence to try to get us some help,” said Espada.
Houston's manager is not only focused on keeping his players healthy this season, but also for the long haul.
When asked about the trade deadline specifically, Espada says he's in conversations with Astros GM Dana Brown daily. Not only do they want to find good players, but they also want to find people that will be a “good fit” for the clubhouse.
Based on Espada's comments, it seems like the club knows full well about the challenges that lie ahead. They need players that will fit their championship culture, and that can take some pressure off their starting pitchers.
Another bat wouldn't hurt either…