Netflix has called an audible and now plans to pursue a Sunday NFL package following its successful Christmas Day debut last season.
Bela Bajaria, the chief content officer for the streaming giant, confirmed the strategy shift on a recent episode of “The Town” podcast.
“I definitely want the Sunday (afternoon) games,” Bajaria said when asked which package she would be interested in pursuing when NFL media rights become available.
The NFL’s current Sunday afternoon rights deals with CBS and Fox run through the 2033 season. However, the NFL has opt-out clauses in most of its agreements after the 2029 season, according to Front Office Sports.
Bajaria’s public comments are in stark contrast to remarks made last month by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos during a fourth-quarter earnings call with industry analysts.
Sarandos called the economics of pursuing a full-season, big-league sports schedule “extremely challenging.”
“If there was a path where we could actually make the economics work, for both us and the leagues, we would certainly explore (it),” Sarandos said. “But right now, we believe that the live events business is where we really want to be.”
Netflix’s Christmas doubleheader — Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans — broke NFL streaming records with average audiences of more than 24 million viewers.
–Field Level Media
