U2 will perform at halftime during Netflix’s Thanksgiving Eve coverage of the Green Bay Packers vs. the Los Angeles Rams.
The performance marks the band’s first return to an NFL field since 2002, when they performed at Super Bowl XXXVI, which, coincidentally, also featured the Rams, then the St. Louis Rams. The team lost to Bill Belichick’s Patriots in a tight championship game.
The Packers/Rams game will be the first time the NFL is holding a Thanksgiving Eve game. The pre-Turkey slot has traditionally been dominated by the NBA, which last year held its first Thanksgiving Eve tripleheader. But the NFL continues to encroach on the NBA’s space on the broadcasting calendar. In recent years, the NFL has scheduled multiple games on Christmas Day, which had traditionally been known as an NBA holiday. Last year, the NFL trounced the NBA in the Christmas Day ratings, even with many of the league’s high-profile talents such as Patrick Mahomes not featuring due to injury.
Netflix also carried last year’s Christmas Day NFL games. Snoop Dogg performed at halftime during the streamer’s broadcast of the Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings. Beyoncé led the halftime performance during Netflix’s first Christmas Day broadcast in 2024.
Discussing U2’s performance, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, said: “There’s a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don’t just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever. 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.”