Beyoncé pokes fun at Netflix’s buffering issues ahead of Christmas-day Halftime performance
The performance, which is her first of the year, will only be available to stream for a few hours after the show
by Laura Molloy · NMEBeyoncé has shared a teaser ahead of her halftime performance at Netflix‘s inaugural NFL Christmas Gameday later today (December 25). Check it out below.
Last month, it was revealed that Beyoncé would be delivering her first performance of 2024 during the Christmas-day game Halftime Show, which is set to be livestreamed on Netflix.
Coined A Cowboy Carter Christmas, the special will premiere live on the streaming platform today, at the midpoint of the Houston Texans game against the Baltimore Ravens, scheduled for 04:30pm EST (09:30pm GMT).
Ahead of the show, the singer shared a teaser yesterday (December 24), which sees her sitting on a chair in the middle of a football field, while playing a banjo.
As the video begins to zoom into the ‘Crazy In Love’ singer’s face, the clip stalls and Netflix’s red buffering graphic appears for a few moments. Once it resumes, Bey laughs, presumably poking fun at the streaming platform’s history with live events.
“I’m sending you big joy and love on this Cowboy Christmas Eve,” the caption reads. “I’ll see y’all tomorrow, in my city HTX.” Check it out below.
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If you want to watch the performance, though, you’ll have to act fast, as it won’t be on Netflix for long.
Due to the platform’s agreement with the NFL, the two Christmas games – and Bey’s halftime slot – will expire in the US three hours after the livestream ends, making them unavailable around 11pm ET).
Outside the US, however, you’ll be able to watch for 24 hours post-event.
Details of the special have been kept under wraps, though Netflix has previously confirmed she will perform songs off ‘Cowboy Carter’ live for the first time, and that a handful of “special guests” featured on the album would be making an appearance. Beyoncé’s publicist also recently shot down rumours that the performance will run for over 20 minutes.
Before Bey takes to the stage, Mariah Carey will perform her Christmas hit ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ to kick off the start of the two games.
Rolling Stone reports that Mariah Carey’s performance will be pre-recorded and will be broadcast before the 1pm ET match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the 4:30pm ET match between the Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens.
‘Cowboy Carter’ scored a five-star review from NME upon its release, with Jenessa Williams writing: “Even if interpreted only on the grounds of artistic spectacle, it’s an undeniable thrill to see her swing so big on a project that dares her to be so intimate and vocal-focused, while making way for country’s up-and-comers too.”
The album clinched the seventh spot in NME‘s 50 Best Albums of 2024 list, and ’16 Carriages’ was named the eighth Best Song of 2024.
In other Beyoncé news, in November she became the most-nominated musician in Grammy history. She previously tied Jay-Z with 88 nominations apiece, but has since been nominated for a whopping 11 awards at next year’s Grammys, all for ‘Cowboy Carter’. She now holds a record-breaking 99 nominations and in 2023 broke the record for most Grammy wins, taking home a total of 32 trophies.
Meanwhile, Stormzy recently revealed that watching Beyoncé’s Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé – the documentary concert film that tracked the journey to the singer’s acclaimed Coachella comeback show in 2018 – inspired him to become “superhuman on stage”.