U2 to Headline NFL’s First Thanksgiving Eve Show on Netflix

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents U2 to Headline NFL’s First Thanksgiving Eve Show on Netflix.

U2 are returning to the NFL halftime stage on November 25. The Irish rock band will perform during the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium—and, according to Just Jared, will deliver the first NFL halftime show on the eve of the American Thanksgiving holiday.

Netflix announced the performance on Tuesday, October 20. This will be no ordinary NFL halftime show: Unlike in previous appearances, the Thanksgiving Eve evening itself is the occasion. Netflix has not yet said exactly when U2 will perform during the game.

6 p.m. ET: How the NFL Evening Begins

The confirmed schedule

The Netflix broadcast begins on November 25 at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, or 3 p.m. Pacific Time. The kickoff at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, follows at 8 p.m. ET, or 5 p.m. PT. U2 will perform during halftime.

No exact start time has been set for the performance. Anyone who wants to watch will therefore need to tune in during the game and wait for halftime. The report has not yet given a single start time.

No Extra Cost on Netflix – Plus Local NBC

The Netflix route

The halftime show will air live as part of Netflix’s NFL Thanksgiving Eve broadcast. The game is included in all Netflix subscription plans, meaning existing subscribers will pay no additional charge. It can be streamed through the Netflix app on supported devices or via Netflix.com.

The local alternative

According to the NFL, the game will also air on local NBC stations in the Green Bay and Los Angeles television markets. The NFL says that, in those areas, reception may be possible for free with a terrestrial antenna. Thus, alongside the Netflix stream, there is at least one other way to watch there.

The clear catch remains the missing time: Access is settled, but U2’s performance has no published start time. Musically, the appearance also builds on Netflix’s previous halftime shows with Beyoncé in 2024 and Snoop Dogg in 2025.

U2’s Last NFL Appearance Was Nearly 25 Years Ago

Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002

November 25 marks U2’s first NFL halftime appearance since the Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002. At the time, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. paid tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks. The names of the people who died were projected behind the band.

That puts the gap before the 2026 Thanksgiving Eve appearance at almost 25 years. This gives the return a clear historical context: U2 are not coming back after a short break from the stage, but after their only previously documented NFL halftime appearance.

Why Netflix picked U2

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos justified the choice in the official announcement by citing U2’s long stadium history: “There is a reason U2 have played the biggest stadiums for decades: They don’t just deliver a show, they create iconic moments that audiences remember forever.”

U2 at 50: NFL Date Follows the New Album

An anniversary and a release

The appearance coincides with the band’s 50th anniversary. There is already another U2 date beforehand: The album Carnaval De Luz has been announced for November 13, less than two weeks before the NFL appearance on November 25.

Then comes the 2027 tour

U2 have also announced their 2027 The Greatest Show on Earth World Tour. The tour begins in February 2027 in Mexico City; Beck will serve as the opening act for the first announced shows.

For your calendar, the key date is November 25: Netflix starts at 6 p.m. ET, kickoff follows at 8 p.m. ET, and U2 will perform during halftime. Only the exact minute of the performance remains to be confirmed.