'Beyoncé Bowl' defies 'Cowboy Carter' skeptics, drawing record NFL streaming numbers on Netflix

Beyoncé’s country crossover wasn’t embraced by everyone at first, but during the NFL Christmas Gameday halftime show, it united audiences across the country and drew in more than 27 million views. Now dubbed the “Beyoncé Bowl,” it’s currently streaming as a special on Netflix.

The singer performed 12 minutes of songs at NRG Stadium in her hometown of Houston, mostly from her album Cowboy Carter. Before the project’s release in March, she wrote on Instagram that it was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed.” That led her to do a deeper dive into country music.

The album’s first single, “Texas Hold ’Em,” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, making her the first Black woman ever to win that honor. One radio station refused to play the song, and in response, a petition to play her songs on country radio garnered 28,000 signatures within a month.

Although Beyoncé’s songs are popular in some country bars and are part of the resurgence of Western style, she didn’t receive any nominations for the Country Music Association Awards ceremony in November. The establishment may not accept her, but her audience certainly has.

Beyoncé was nominated for 11 Grammy Awards this year — the most of any artist. She debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Her Beyoncé Bowl performance on Christmas Day was also well-received on the internet and generated millions of views.

A number of technical issues plagued Netflix’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match in November, a blow to the reputation of the streamer’s biggest-ever live event. Technical problems during the NFL Christmas Gameday appeared to be minimal, although the games themselves were somewhat lackluster.

The Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans game averaged 24.3 million viewers in the United States, ratings company Nielsen reported. Viewership peaked at more than 27 million viewers during Beyoncé’s show.

“Bringing our members this record-breaking day of two NFL games was the best Christmas gift we could have delivered,” Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement.

Beyoncé performed several songs live for the first time, from “16 Carriages” to “Levii's Jeans,” and brought out special guests Shaboozey and Post Malone, who were also featured on Cowboy Carter. She also danced alongside her elder daughter, Blue Ivy Carter.

The singer herself hinted at something big coming on Jan. 14, but it’s not clear if that will be a music video, a tour or another album.