The Queen of Christmas just dropped some serious holiday vibes on Netflix’s NFL doubleheader this Wednesday.
Mariah Carey kicked off the streaming giant’s festive game day with a pre-recorded performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Decked out in a sparkly red outfit, she took the stage on a rooftop decked with holiday magic—think fake snow and Christmas trees galore. As she belted out the classic, she was joined by some special guests from the North Pole, including Santa and a crew of elves, all vibing and dancing around her. The segment also featured a montage of past games and scenes of fans tuning in from their couches.
Netflix even hyped up the performance on their X account, posting, “ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A MARIAH CAREY KICKOFF.”
Carey wrote that iconic track when she was just 22, and it went triple-platinum in ’94, moving over 3 million copies in the U.S. alone. Since then, it’s racked up at least 6 million more copies or equivalent sales. That holiday anthem is still a go-to during this time of year, though it’s seen a bit of a dip in listeners lately.
This marks Netflix’s first NFL broadcast, produced by CBS Sports, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Baltimore Ravens squaring off against the Houston Texans. And guess what? Beyoncé is set to hit the stage at halftime during the second game.
These games are a major litmus test for Netflix as they dive deeper into live event programming. They’ve already lined up a bunch of other big live events, including weekly WWE “Raw” shows dropping in under two weeks, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup coming up in 2027 and 2031.
Leading up to the Christmas games, Netflix was all about promoting both Mariah’s and Beyoncé’s performances. In a teaser video dropped on X Tuesday, Beyoncé seemed to throw a little shade at the streaming hiccups Netflix faced during past live events. In response, Netflix’s X account temporarily switched up its bio to read: “roasted by beyoncé 12.24.24.”
