Which NFL Teams Play on Christmas Eve

How the NFL schedules Christmas Eve games

Christmas Eve is not an automatic game day for most NFL teams. The league treats December 24 as a light scheduling day, using it only when the normal structure of weeks and rotating rules would otherwise leave a gap in the slate. A Christmas Eve game requires specific calendar conditions: it cannot occur in years when Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, because the NFL avoids placing marquee national windows on religious holidays. When Christmas Eve games are scheduled, they are typically assigned to late-afternoon time slots (4:05 ET or 4:25 ET), with the afternoon network window usually shared between CBS and Fox. The exact slate varies each year by rotation and must comply with competitive balance, national-television allotment, and local-market restrictions.

Schedule mechanics and blackout considerations

The NFL regular season spans 17 weeks, with each team playing 16 games and receiving one bye. Week boundaries and bye weeks are set during the preseason to keep practices and rest days consistent. For any given season, whether a team hosts or visits on Christmas Eve depends on that year's opponents, bye week, and divisional rotation. Sunday afternoon games are subject to blackout rules in the teams' local markets if the home team does not sell out tickets by a 72-hour deadline; national telecasts remain available everywhere. Because the NFL occasionally tweaks scheduling policies, including primetime flex adjustments and protected days for travel, you should always consult the current-season schedule on NFL.com or your local broadcaster for precise local times and blackout status.

Typical Christmas Eve matchup pattern

On years when Christmas Eve does host games, the league usually places contests in the early window so fans can attend holiday preparations later in the evening. There is no fixed annual pair of teams; matchups follow standard opponent selection rules, including division games when the schedule allows and cross-conference rotations designed to balance competitive appeal. The afternoon windows are generally reserved for intraconference contests, while the primetime window on Christmas Day itself often features marquee national teams. Because Christmas Eve games occur only when Christmas Day is not on Sunday, these matchups are best understood as products of the broader season schedule rather than a yearly tradition of specific franchises.

How to check which teams are playing on Christmas Eve

To confirm whether any teams play on Christmas Eve in a given season, follow the official schedule as it is published and updated by the NFL. The league typically releases the full season schedule in the spring, with adjustments made later for flex scheduling, weather, and national television needs. Reliable sources include the NFL app, the schedule page on NFL.com, and the broadcast partners for your region. By checking these channels, you can see precise game times, markets, blackout information, and any last-minute changes that could move a contest to another day.

Quick checklist for Christmas Eve planning

• Confirm whether Christmas Day is on Sunday that year, because this usually eliminates Christmas Eve games.
• Monitor the published schedule in late spring and summer, noting that any announced slate could shift with flex adjustments.
• Know your local blackout rules: if your team’s home game is not sold out 72 hours before kickoff, it may move to radio only.
• Use official NFL channels and network TV listings for the most accurate local times and channel numbers.
• Keep an eye on weather or operational updates in the days leading up to the holiday, as rare postponements can occur.

Summary of relevant conditions