Netflix wants to have NFL games back on its streaming platform, and we’re not just talking about Christmas Day.
In an interview with Puck News, Bela Bejaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said the streaming platform will bid for Sunday afternoon games.
One of the main reasons Netflix may want to bid for NFL games revolves around the league’s desire to continue growing international markets. Of course, having a global streamer to do so would make sense for the NFL — if that is the plan.
Netflix held two Christmas Day games — Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers — and they were both the most-streamed NFL games in U.S. history.
Both games averaged around 24 million viewers, according to Nielsen. With over 218 countries having the ability to watch the games, more than 65 million viewers were seen on the platform.
NETFLIX’S NFL CHRISTMAS DAY COVERAGE EXPERIENCES MISCUES
Currently, the NFL’s Sunday afternoon games belong to Fox and CBS, with Fox owning the NFC package since 1994, and CBS getting the AFC package from NBC in 1998.
Their deals run through 2033, per ProFootballTalk. However, the NFL does own the right to pull out of the deal four years early, and there’s been indication of that being the plan.
So, while it appears unlikely to happen for the 2025 season, a streaming platform like Netflix could be jumping into the fold to get more NFL exposure on its platform.
As a result, one of the major broadcast partners for the NFL will likely be out, which will be interesting to see, to say the least.
The NFL has been broadcast on various channels and streamers in recent seasons, with Prime Video owning the rights to “Thursday Night Football,” ABC/ESPN programming “Monday Night Football,” and Peacock being an exclusive home for playoff games as well.
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