Beyoncé’s performance for the NFL’s Christmas Day doubleheader last year is a stalwart example of what music-forward performances can do for live sports. Popularly dubbed as the “Beyonce Bowl”, the event ended up catapulting Netflix into the live sports segment.
Beyoncé wins Emmy for NFL performance
Aired on broadcast and cable television, the game’s ratings went through the roof. As reported by CNN, the late Ravens-Texans game averaged 24.3 million viewers in the United States, and the early Chiefs-Steelers game averaged 24.1 million, according to Nielsen. The games were the most-streamed games in NFL history, the ratings company said. Viewership for the Ravens-Texans peaked at the halftime show, dubbed the Beyoncé Bowl, with over 27 million viewers, Nielsen reported.
“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix chief content officer, in a statement. As per ESPN, the Christmas doubleheader marked the two most-streamed games in NFL history.
“We’re thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}“We’re thrilled with our first Christmas Gameday on Netflix with NFL games being streamed to a global audience,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution, in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Last week, it was announced that the singer has managed to secure an Emmy award win for her rhinestone-emblazoned Roberto Cavalli coat and outfit. This feat brings her halfway to becoming an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner.
The success, however, did not come without its share of challenges, as Beyoncé had been intimated beforehand about the possibility of facing a fine for the move.
According to Us Weekly, those sparkly adornments attracted the attention of the NFL before her performance, as a source told the outlet her team agreed to pay the league a $500 fine for each crystal that was discovered on the turf if they happened become dislodged while she was doing her thing, saying, “It’s for players’ safety because anything like that on the field could cause injury.”
The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be held on September 14 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
With contribution from Stuti Gupta