In a Rob Parker podcast interview earlier this week, Netflix’s chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, hinted that the streaming giant might throw its hat in the ring for a package of Sunday afternoon NFL games. Currently, CBS and Fox hold the rights to those broadcasts.
The remark caught many off guard, given Netflix’s typical programming playbook. With over 300 million subscribers worldwide, the streaming leader has largely steered clear of full-season sports commitments. Just last month, during the company’s quarterly earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos flagged the financial hurdles of streaming an entire major league sports slate. Still, Netflix dipped its toe in the NFL waters last Christmas with two game broadcasts.
A massive 11-year, $111 million media rights deal between the NFL and its partners took effect in 2023. Under it, CBS and Paramount+ shell out $2.1 billion per season, while Fox ponies up $2.2 billion annually, with its games also streaming on Tubi. Both networks retain postseason coverage, including Super Bowls.
Even with a slight ratings dip in 2024, the NFL remains TV’s undisputed king. Despite competition from the Presidential election and Summer Olympics, NFL broadcasts claimed 72 of the year’s 100 most-watched telecasts (including Netflix’s two games), though that’s down from a record 93 in 2023.
Regular-season NFL games in 2024 averaged 19.4 million viewers. CBS pulled in 19.2 million per game, a hair below 2023’s 19.3 million, with its 10 late Sunday “national” games averaging 24.3 million, down from 24.6 million. Fox averaged 18.4 million viewers per game, a drop from 19.0 million in 2023, while its late Sunday “America’s Game of the Week” drew 23.9 million, compared to 24.6 million the prior year.
No comments:
Post a Comment