Netflix is eyeing up a bid for the NFL's Christmas Day games, marking a significant move in the streaming giant's venture into sports broadcasting.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has previously stated during Super Bowl week that streaming platforms are "the future" of sports broadcasting, and Netflix could make a major statement with this festive rights acquisition.
Puck News suggests that Netflix is set to exclusively broadcast a Christmas Day double-header, as NFL games increasingly shift from traditional TV to digital platforms. Last season saw two streaming services make history: Peacock aired a postseason game after Amazon Prime hosted the first-ever Black Friday game.
Peacock became the inaugural streaming platform to secure the rights to a postseason game, showcasing the wild-card match between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins behind a digital paywall. For viewers outside of the Kansas City/Miami area, the only way to watch the game was via the streaming service.
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Netflix is now poised to broadcast its first game. For years, sports broadcasting in the United States has been dominated by TV networks such as NBC, CBS, ESPN, ABC, Fox, and TNT. However, streaming platforms are gradually gaining a stronger foothold in the world of sports, and Netflix could make a significant impact if it manages to secure the Christmas Day games.
Last season saw the Chiefs face off against their fierce AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, on Christmas Day. The match, which ended in a loss for the Chiefs, was viewed by 29.6 million people, making it the second most-watched Christmas game in history - only surpassed by a 1989 clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings.
In addition to the Chiefs-Raiders game, there were two other matches on Christmas Day last year. The Philadelphia Eagles took on the New York Giants before the main event - a primetime game between the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.
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NFL games are set to be broadcasted live on Netflix in the United States (Photo by Gail Schulman/CBS via Getty Images)While the Chiefs-Raiders game topped the ratings charts, the other games weren't far behind. With viewer numbers of 29 million and 27.6 million respectively, the average viewership for last year's Christmas games was 28.75 million.
This guarantees massive exposure for Netflix if they manage to secure the rights, dealing a significant blow to traditional broadcasters - although this is something they have been preparing for.
Netflix has already made its first foray into boxing, with Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul set to be broadcast live on July 20. The undercard will also feature a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, before Tyson ends his 19-year professional hiatus.
With a whopping 260 million active subscribers, and recent changes to their rules preventing account sharing across multiple households, Netflix could smash records with both boxing and NFL viewership ratings.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.
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