The holiday season means a few things: Mistletoe, hot cocoa, and Christmas football games. Whether you’re a college football fan ready for bowl season or an NFL fanatic eyeing the playoffs, this time of year brings plenty of gridiron excitement.
Football is the perfect backdrop for festive gatherings. That’s why we created this watch guide, so you can plan these final days of December around your favorite teams. Here’s everything you need to know about watching football on Christmas.
NFL Christmas games
This year, Christmas Day falls on a Wednesday. It’s an unusual time for NFL action, but fans will get a steady lineup of quality games with playoff and postseason implications.
Between the end of Week 16 and the start of Week 17, you’ll see a Saints–Packers matchup on December 23. There are no NFL games on Christmas Eve this season, so rest up because Christmas Day delivers the goods with Chiefs–Steelers and Ravens–Texans on Netflix. Then, there’s a Thursday Night Football clash between the Seahawks and Bears on December 26.
NFL Christmas schedule
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers | Monday, Dec. 23 | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes |
| Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers | Wednesday, Dec. 25 | 1:00 p.m. | Netflix |
| Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans | Wednesday, Dec. 25 | 4:30 p.m. | Netflix |
| Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears | Thursday, Dec. 26 | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime Video |
Data effective as of post date.
Crave more holiday football action? Visit our Premier League on Boxing Day guide to learn how to watch European football at its finest on December 26.
How to watch NFL games on Christmas for free
*CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 11/14/24 5:30 p.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
There’s no way to watch this year’s two NFL Christmas Day games for free, as they’re streaming exclusively on Netflix with no free trial access. The December 26 game is also a streaming exclusive on Amazon Prime Video. Bah humbug!
Fortunately, all other NFL games throughout Christmas week will air on traditional channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. If you don’t have a TV plan, you can still get these channels for free with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna like the Mohu Leaf 50. Additionally, streaming services like Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM offer free trials, which can be a quick way to stream the games. Check out our streaming TV trials guide for more info.
College football Christmas games
For college football fans, the Christmas bowl schedule falls in the sweet spot between the early bowl season and the College Football Playoff. For Christmas week, fans will get a handful of great major-conference matchups between various SEC, Big Ten, AAC, MAC, and Conference USA teams.
Here’s a quick look at the bowl games happening around Christmas. Head over to our main college bowl game guide for the full lineup, and visit our weekly college football preview column to learn more about this week’s games.
College football Christmas schedule
| Bowl | Opponents | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | Coastal Carolina vs. UTSA | Monday, Dec. 23 | 11:00 a.m. | ESPN |
| Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Northern Illinois vs. Fresno State | Monday, Dec. 23 | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hawai’i Bowl | South Florida vs. San Jose State | Tuesday, Dec. 24 | 8:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| GameAbove Sports Bowl | Pitt vs. Toledo | Thursday, Dec. 26 | 2:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Rate Bowl | Rutgers vs. Kansas State | Thursday, Dec. 26 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| 68 Ventures Bowl | Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green | Thursday, Dec. 26 | 9:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl | Navy vs. Oklahoma | Friday, Dec. 27 | Noon | ESPN |
| Birmingham Bowl | Georgia Tech vs. Vanderbilt | Friday, Dec. 27 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| AutoZone Liberty Bowl | Arkansas vs. Texas Tech | Friday, Dec. 27 | 7:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| DIRECTV Holiday Bowl | Syracuse vs. Washington State | Friday, Dec. 27 | 8:00 p.m. | FOX |
| SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl | USC vs. Texas A&M | Friday, Dec. 27 | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch college football on Christmas for free
*CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links. Amazon.com Price; $39.99 (as of 11/14/24 5:30 p.m. CT). Read full disclaimer.
Besides FOX, ABC is another local channel that gets a handful of college football bowl games around Christmas week. You’ll be set for those matchups if you already have a live TV subscription or an OTA antenna. But you’ll need to do some more legwork if you want to watch every college bowl game because ESPN airs most college football bowl games, and it’s not available with an OTA antenna.
If you want to watch college football on Christmas for free, we recommend Fubo’s seven-day free trial.
How to watch football on Christmas FAQ
Who’s playing football on Christmas Day?
This year, four NFL teams will play on Christmas Day. Chiefs vs. Steelers opens the day at 1:00 p.m. ET, while Ravens vs. Texans closes out the NFL’s Christmas Day schedule at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Are there football games on Christmas?
The NFL will put on a handful of games across Christmas week, starting with a Monday Night Football clash between the Saints and Packers. College football won’t have a bowl game on Christmas Day. But you’ll still have multiple bowl games throughout the week, including the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Hawai’i Bowl, and Detroit Bowl.
What NFL teams are playing Christmas Day in 2024?
The following NFL teams play on Christmas Day 2024:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Houston Texans
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Pittsburgh Steelers
Why you should trust us
We analyzed this year’s Christmas college football and NFL schedule to figure out this year’s top matchups. We also drew from our cord-cutter and streaming deal coverage to find the best college football and NFL watch solutions for your holiday season.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
Disclaimer
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*Amazon.com price as of 11/14/24 5:30 p.m. CT. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. CableTV.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
