Netflix’s 2025 Christmas NFL GameDay delivered the platform’s largest US sign-up peak of the year, according to analysis from Ampere Analysis.

The live NFL broadcast, paired with the release of Stranger Things Season 5: Vol. 2, drove 430,000 new US subscribers, making it Netflix’s third-largest acquisition surge since 2018 – behind the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match (1.4 million sign-ups) in November 2024 and its first Christmas GameDay in 2024 (650,000 sign-ups).

Ampere’s research shows that live sports and events content emerged as the primary driver of SVoD sign-ups in the US in 2025, generating the largest subscription peaks across Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, HBO Max and Netflix.

Mayssa Jamil, Senior Analyst at Ampere Analysis, commented: “What stood out in 2025 is how consistently live content delivered the biggest sign-up peaks across the major platforms in the US. Live programming is no longer a complementary strategy for streaming services, but one of the most reliable tools for subscriber growth – able to bring large audiences together at once, create immediate scale and significantly increase the value of ad inventory.”

Additional key findings: 

• Live events drove 60 per cent of standout sign-up peaks across major US streaming platforms in 2025, compared with around 30 per cent driven by promotional activity. Scripted releases accounted for just 10 per cent, nearly all of which were linked to Netflix, with 1923 Season 2 on Paramount+ the only exception.
• Sports accounted for 85 per cent of live-driven sign-ups, with the remainder driven by award shows.
• 2025’s live sports sign-ups delivered lasting viewer retention. According to Ampere’s SVoD Economics US data, 45 per cent of users who signed up for Netflix’s first Christmas GameDay in 2024 were still active a year later. Among churners, 10 per cent returned specifically for the 2025 event.
• Live content expanded reach in a saturated market, with nearly half of live-event sign-ups coming from first-time subscribers across major platforms.
• Large live audiences significantly boosted advertising value. Users who signed up for live events were more likely to select ad tiers—nearly 75 per cent on Prime Video and Paramount+, and 50 per cent on Netflix—compared with typical days. Because live events typically carry advertising regardless of subscription tier, increased sign-ups delivered incremental ad exposure, strengthening monetisation and diversifying revenue streams.

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Categories: Consumer Behaviour, Content, Headline, Premium, Research, VOD

Tags: Ampere, chrustmas, netflix, NFL, Stranger Things