In the ever-competitive world of global streaming, a Christmas Day performance is more than just entertainment—it’s a defining cultural moment. On December 25, 2025, Netflix turned its first NFL Christmas Gameday into a full-scale holiday spectacle, with Kelly Clarkson at the center of the opening celebration.
Rather than a traditional walk-on, Clarkson arrived in dramatic fashion, descending onto a snow-covered stage designed to resemble a giant snow globe. The theatrical entrance set the tone for a performance that blended festive fantasy with stadium-sized energy.
A Holiday Anthem for the Gridiron
Clarkson launched into her hit Underneath the Tree, delivering a powerhouse vocal that carried across the stadium as players warmed up in the background. The production fused football pageantry with concert staging, creating a crossover moment between sports and holiday music that reached millions of viewers worldwide.
The opening slot carried extra significance. Following the precedent set by Mariah Carey the previous year, Clarkson helped establish the Christmas Gameday kickoff as a new seasonal tradition for the league’s streaming era. The lineup also featured appearances from Snoop Dogg and rising act Huntr/x, underscoring the event’s blend of genres and audiences.
A Performance Shaped by Resilience
The appearance came only months after Clarkson’s emotional return to live performance in Las Vegas following the death of her former husband, Brandon Blackstock. While her earlier shows carried a reflective tone, the Christmas Gameday stage allowed her to channel that resilience into something celebratory and forward-looking.
Observers noted a balance between strength and warmth in her delivery—festive on the surface, but grounded in the authenticity that has defined her recent performances.
A New Holiday Tradition
Netflix’s Christmas broadcast reached a global audience, signaling a shift in how major holiday events are staged and consumed. By combining live sports, high-concept production, and a headline musical performance, the platform positioned the NFL Christmas opener as both a concert and a game-day ritual.
As the snow-globe set closed and the sleigh imagery faded from the screen, Clarkson’s message was clear: the holidays can hold both spectacle and sincerity. Her performance didn’t just open a football game—it helped launch a new chapter in Christmas entertainment.