U2 fans have a lot to be thankful for this year. Netflix announced Tuesday (Oct. 20) that the Irish rock band will headline the NFL’s very first Thanksgiving Eve halftime show, the latest expansion of the league’s mid-game musical ambitions.
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Taking place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., the pre-Turkey Day matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams will kick off at 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 25. U2 will take the field between halves, calling back to the Bono-led band’s Super Bowl XXXVI Halftime Show performance in 2002.
Fans can tune in live on the streaming service.
“There’s a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: They don’t just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever,” Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled that they’ll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix. It’s going to be an unforgettable night for football fans and Netflix members worldwide.”
The news comes at a meaningful time for U2. The band is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year after forming in Dublin in 1976. The group is currently in the process of rolling out its 16th studio album, Carnaval de Luz, which will arrive Nov. 13. So far, fans have heard singles “Street of Dreams,” “Silencio” and “The Greatest Show on Earth” from the project.
The NFL’s partnership with Netflix has been essential to its musical efforts in recent years, with the streamer broadcasting the Christmas Day 2024 game and Beyoncé Bowl halftime spectacular two years ago. The following year, Snoop Dogg headlined his own Holiday Halftime Party at the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings game on Christmas.
With the launch of its Thanksgiving Eve game, the NFL could hardly have picked a bigger live act than U2. The group is one of the most successful touring acts of all time and pioneered the now-coveted Las Vegas Sphere residency in 2023, grossing $244.5 million and 663,000 tickets sold across 40 shows total, according to Billboard Boxscore.