U2 to Headline NFL Thanksgiving Eve Halftime Show on Netflix
U2 will headline the halftime show for the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game, giving Packers-Rams another major-event layer when the teams meet at SoFi Stadium on November 25. Netflix and the NFL announced the performance Tuesday.
The Wednesday-night game kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Central and 5 p.m. Pacific. Netflix’s pregame coverage begins at 6 p.m. Eastern, and the live game is included with every active Netflix plan.
What was announced
The 22-time Grammy winners and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band will perform during halftime as part of U2’s 50th-anniversary year. The group formed in Dublin in 1976. The announcement did not include a set list, special guests or an expected halftime duration.
That distinction matters: the headliner is confirmed, but specific songs and production details remain pending. Football Nation will not treat rumored guests or social-media set lists as confirmed information.
Packers-Rams Thanksgiving Eve game details
Matchup: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2026
Venue: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Pregame coverage: 6 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Central / 3 p.m. Pacific
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Central / 5 p.m. Pacific
How to watch: Netflix; included with all active subscription plans
Why the performance is notable
U2 last appeared on the NFL’s biggest entertainment stage at Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002. That performance, held less than five months after the September 11 attacks, became one of the most remembered Super Bowl halftime shows of its era. The Thanksgiving Eve appearance will bring the band back to an NFL halftime stage nearly 25 years later.
The game itself is also new territory. Packers-Rams is the first regular-season game scheduled for the night before Thanksgiving, extending the NFL’s holiday window to Wednesday. Netflix has steadily expanded its NFL inventory after carrying Christmas games and the 2026 Melbourne opener.
What this means for viewers
For fans, the practical change is the start of coverage. Netflix plans two hours of pregame programming before kickoff, while the U2 performance will occur during the game’s halftime break. An active Netflix subscription is required. The NFL says the game will also air on NBC owned stations or affiliates in the Packers and Rams local markets and will be available on U.S. mobile and tablet devices through NFL+. No separate pay per view fee was announced.
Fantasy managers should also note the unusual Wednesday date. Players from Green Bay and Los Angeles will lock earlier than a typical Week 12 lineup, so injury and inactive decisions involving either team must be handled before the Wednesday kickoff. The halftime concert does not change fantasy scoring, but the schedule absolutely changes lineup deadlines.
Team and scheduling context
Both clubs have a Week 11 bye before the Thanksgiving Eve matchup. That placement gives Green Bay and Los Angeles additional preparation time before playing on Wednesday, rather than forcing either team into a standard three-day turnaround from a Sunday game.
The Rams are the home team at SoFi Stadium. Green Bay’s road designation and the Wednesday kickoff were announced with the 2026 schedule in May; Tuesday’s news added the halftime headliner without changing the game time or venue.
What is still unknown
The U2 set list
Whether any guest performers will appear
The expected length of the halftime production
Additional broadcast features or alternate feeds
Any game-week injury or roster developments for Green Bay and Los Angeles
The bottom line
U2 is officially attached to a historic NFL broadcast: the league’s first Thanksgiving Eve game and the band’s return to an NFL halftime stage during its 50th-anniversary year. Packers-Rams begins at 7 p.m. Central on November 25, with Netflix’s coverage starting two hours earlier.
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