Kelly Clarkson Opens Netflix NFL Christmas With ‘Underneath the Tree’

Kelly Clarkson kicked off the NFL’s Christmas Gameday on Netflix with an exuberant and appropriately festive rendition of her holiday original “Underneath the Tree.”

In the filmed performance that opened the festivities, Clarkson descended from the sky in a sleigh and swooped past a super-sized Christmas tree to land on a snow-covered stage. NFL players ran around the tree, executing flawless passes and sacking gigantic presents, while fans cheered, cheerleaders danced, and Clarkson’s signature vocals filled the stadium — which was revealed to be a magical Netflix snowglobe in the clip’s final moments.

Clarkson, who was announced as the Christmas Gameday opener earlier this month, had the additional honor of opening for her favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, who kicked off the Christmas Day doubleheader against the Washington Commanders. Netflix has also enlisted Snoop Dogg, Lainey Wilson, and the singing stars behind KPop Demon Hunters’ Huntr/x — EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — to perform during halftime of the second game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions. 

Netflix debuted its Christmas Gameday slate last year. For the inaugural doubleheader in 2024, the streaming giant tapped Mariah Carey for an opening rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” while Beyoncé performed her Cowboy Carter songs for the first time live during the halftime show. 

Back in November, Clarkson performed a short run of shows for her Studio Sessions residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. (These also marked her first gigs since the death of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, in August.) Clarkson has also been busy with her daytime talk show, and is set to resume her Vegas residency next summer with a bunch of new shows in July and August.