The NFL season continues Week 17 when the Minnesota Vikings host the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day. Start time, how to watch, stream and TV schedule.

NFL Week 17 football continues Christmas Day. What teams play NFL games today? What is NFL TV schedule? Each game's start time and how to watch Thursday.

On December 18, a Detroit Lions player criticized the NFL for scheduling a Christmas game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings vs. Lions will not air on traditional broadcast television. Instead, viewers can stream the game live with Netflix. The Vikings vs. Lions will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 25. The match will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Vikings beat the Lions because of their defense. Brian Flores' unit, which entered the game having gone seven straight weeks without allowing a passing touchdown, dominated. The Vikings forced five turnovers. They shut down Detroit's run game, and quarterback Jared Goff looked flustered.

With just one game remaining on the Lions ' 2025 slate, a loss at the Chicago Bears (11-4) would ensure that Detroit locks up a fourth-place schedule in 2026. But, thanks to its head-to head tiebreaker, a Vikings win over the Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) in Week 18 would also guarantee that Detroit finishes last in the NFC North.

The Vikings are down to their final Sunday of the 2025 season, closing the year at home against Green Bay with a chance to complicate the Packers’ postseason positioning. Beyond that, the calendar is already tilting toward what comes next.