Getty Pictures/Thearon W. Henderson
Hey, soccer followers! You are already watching the NFL on CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Plus, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, NFL Community, and YouTube TV, proper? Properly, prepare for yet one more: Netflix! The most important streaming supplier that wasn’t exhibiting NFL video games is now leaping into the pile. The NFL and Netflix have signed a three-year deal that can put unique Christmas video games on the streaming service.
The primary Netflix Christmas video games will likely be this season, on December 25, 2024, (that is a Wednesday, by the best way). Netflix will get two Christmas video games this 12 months, with actual occasions and groups to be introduced later tonight on the NFL’s dwell schedule unveiling extravaganza (even the schedule is an occasion now). The NFL says 2025 and 2026 will see “not less than one” recreation on the service every Christmas. The precise phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Within the shortly altering panorama of TV, the NFL has lengthy been one of many few issues left that’s nonetheless appointment tv. Of the highest 100 highest-rated US TV broadcasts in 2023, 93 % of them had been NFL video games. Within the hyper-fragmented world of streaming, touchdown a number of unique NFL video games is an effective way to hook folks into your service. NBC’s unique Peacock playoff recreation introduced in 23 million viewers final 12 months. And even when that was a bit low by NFL requirements, NBC referred to as it “essentially the most streamed occasion ever in US historical past” and “a milestone second in media and sports activities historical past.” You would possibly assume NFL followers would instantly cancel after the ultimate kneel-down, however one examine confirmed a stunning 71 % of customers that signed up for the NFL recreation had been nonetheless on Peacock seven weeks later.
Netflix has been dipping its toe into the NFL content material stream with particular reality-style documentaries like Quarterback and the upcoming Receiver, which star present NFL gamers, however this would be the first time the streamer will air dwell soccer. With NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV and Thursday Evening Soccer video games on Amazon Prime, the NFL is shifting on-line greater than ever. In a number of years, issues will get even wilder: In 2029, the NFL can cancel all the TV offers on the identical time if it desires. That will result in an unprecedented bidding conflict amongst all of the TV and streaming suppliers and would upend all the NFL content material world.
