It was difficult to fathom which one was a bigger hit? The Christmas Day games themselves, live streamed on Netflix around the globe, or Beyonce’s half-time approximately 14-minute performance, which not only rocked the (undisclosed) viewership numbers, but could also possibly change the way streamers air live sports or live sports’ deal with OTT platforms.

Beyoncé performed — along with guest stars and her daughter Ivy Blue as a dancer — a show-stopping halftime performance during Netflix’s first-ever NFL Christmas Gameday as the Houston Texans hosted the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium live on Netflix.

This special performance took place in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston, Texas, produced by her company, Parkwood Entertainment and Jesse Collins Entertainment, the streamer said in a statement yesterday, without revealing any viewership data. Interestingly, none was forthcoming from third party trackers too.

However, ABC3340.com, quoting NFL Media, said that viewers in all the 50 US States tuned in within minutes of the pre-game show going live and viewers from nearly 200 countries watched the first game. It further added that before the Ravens-Texans kicked off, Netflix reported that it eclipsed its peak concurrent viewers of any Christmas in the past four years.

Meanwhile, a Netflix statement said the expansive performance of music, fashion and history featured a slew of guest performers in a roof-raising 12-plus minutes showcasing the first live performance of songs from Beyonce’s genre-bending and record-breaking ‘Cowboy Carter’ album.

The 11-time Grammy-nominated, juggernaut album recently became the most nominated album by a female artist.

The set included, among others, ‘16 Carriages’, ‘Blackbiird’, ‘Ameriican Requiem’, ‘Ya Ya’, ‘Spaghettii/riiverdance’, ‘Levii’s Jeans’, ‘Jolene’ and the ubiquitous smash, ‘Texas Hold‘em’,which ended the set with Beyoncé literally lifting to the rafters.

The guests who brought their sizzle to the show included performers Post Malone, Shaboozey, Reyna Roberts, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer and Tiera Kennedy. Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s eldest daughter, joined in as a featured dancer.

The Texans Cheerleaders also joined in, representing the home team. And in a beautiful tribute to Western and Rodeo culture, Beyoncé included as special guests, Mexican Cowgirl, Melanie Rivera, Bull-riding legend, Myrtis Dightman, Jr., known as the ‘Jackie Robinson of Rodeo’,Miss Rodeo Texas Princess 2004 and Miss Rodeo Texas 2015, Nikki Woodward, and the first Black Rodeo Queen in Arkansas, Ja’Dayia Kursh.

The energy turned all the way up with the addition of close to 200 members of Texas Southern University’s Ocean of Soul Marching Band. The HBCU, world-class band delivered on all its known for, powerful sound, precision and choreography.

Beyoncé is no stranger to electrifying NFL halftime appearances having performed at two Super Bowl games. She headlined Super Bowl XLVII on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was joined onstage by Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, her bandmates in Destiny’s Child. The performance became the second most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history at the time.

Netflix members can relive the full halftime performance of ‘Beyoncé Bowl’, as a standalone special, when it comes to the service later this week.

(Beyonce image courtesy Netflix website)