If there is one bastion of television programming left that traditional networks can hold onto, it’s sports. Yes, cable has been involved in this as well, but even if you don’t have a cable package, you can still count on watching sports when their respective seasons are in swing. ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox have paid a pretty penny over the decades to secure rights to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, and other leagues. Their respective streaming platforms help complement the terrestrial and cable broadcasts, but Netflix doesn’t do that. The streaming juggernaut currently doesn’t have much of a live sports presence, but it’s looking to expand into the NFL.
As of right now, Netflix only has one programming day of NFL sports, a doubleheader on Christmas. It’s seeking to add at least two more games. One would be on Thanksgiving Eve, the other an international game. Both of these are strategic decisions that represent NFL expansion as well. It used to be the case that there were only two NFL games on Thanksgiving. Thanks to old contracts from decades ago, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always had a lock on Thanksgiving games. Then, a third game was added in 2006.
A Thanksgiving Eve game would be a completely new addition. As for the international game, that would play into the NFL’s strategy of pushing further outside the US. American football has historically not been a popular sport outside of the United States. Even Canada hasn’t fully embraced it. They have their own version of it and do not have a competitive team in the NFL. Compare this to the other major sports leagues like the NBA, NHL, and MLB, which all have some Canadian representation. Netflix also has the benefit of being a worldwide streaming platform. The streamer scoring an international game to broadcast makes perfect sense.
The push for this expansion is well-timed. Netflix is approaching the end of a three-year deal it signed for the Christmas double-header. How much they would be willing to pay for more games is a question that’s truly up in the air. The NFL scores huge ratings, and it’s one thing that is sure to draw in subscribers, even if it’s just temporary. Getting more subscribers from month to month to watch games would be a massive win for them.
On the other hand, this is also a massive threat to terrestrial stations and cable networks. If Netflix makes these kinds of inroads into sports broadcasting, it could be the nail in the coffin for other channels. This is the kind of sleeper story that may have massive implications in the months and years to follow. Let’s see what happens with Netflix’s ambitions and what deal they end up striking with the NFL.
