Christmas day is upon us, along with NFL game day. However, this year marks a significant change in modern-day sports media, as Netflix has negotiated with the NFL to gain the exclusive right to stream two NFL games on Christmas day. This deal, lasting for three seasons, also includes football matches on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026.
On Christmas day, Netflix will stream the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers match at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, and the Baltimore Ravens versus Houston Texans game at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. These matches will be shown on television in the competing cities and NFL Plus.
Netflix’s deal with the NFL is significant, as the streaming service, unlike broadcast television, allows the viewers to pause, rewind, restart, or skip moments during the live stream and watch live events after they have finished, making sports on Netflix more readily accessible and controllable to those who want to watch them. Furthermore, Netflix will revolutionize sports consumption by reaching a more global and diverse audience through its well-known streaming platform, and, knowing Netflix’s financial capabilities, the company will consternate hierarchal authorities.
The NFL is also giving Netflix a golden marketing opportunity by allowing the company to promote the second season of Squid Game, the streaming service’s beloved and most-watched show, but under the knowledge that the promotion isn’t being used for personal, non-commercial, or informational purposes.Squid Game season 1 has garnered an audience of 330 million and more than 2.8 billion hours since its release. Netflix advertised the show by showing a preview of its second season during the Kansas City Chiefs versus Pittsburgh Steelers game.
On November 15, when Netflix streamed the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, the constant buffering, freezing, and technical issues while watching the boxing match event displeased the viewers. However, this time, things are different. For the two upcoming football games, Netflix has outsourced production of the matches to CBS, while NFL media is in charge of the pre-halftime and post-game shows. Unlike the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight, Nielsen, a global company that provides data on marketing and media, will be involved in analyzing the players’ performance and skill in these games.
Buffering and freezing problems during the two matches would most likely enrage viewers and NFL fans. However, John Kosner, a former ESPN digital media executive and now an investor in digital startups and President of Kosner Media, speculates that technical issues will not affect Netflix’s partnership with the NFL.
“It would certainly be a PR black eye, but I tend to think that the NFL views this as a technical problem that can be solved,” Kosner said. “The nature of broadcasting this simultaneously everywhere creates new opportunities. I’m sure all the parties very much want Netflix to solve it for Christmas Day. So other than the short-term PR embarrassment that happened coming after the Tyson-Paul fight, I don’t think it really changes things.”
Moreover, Ed Desser, the president of Desser Sports Media Inc. and a senior media executive for the NBA for 23 years, states, “Netflix is still in the discovery phase. This is an R&D measure for them, and they will learn from it. I think that the NFL would like nothing better than for Netflix to be a serious bidder next time around for a full slice as opposed to the crumbs.”
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