Netflix Shows Interest in Streaming Live Sports, Quietly Bids on Multiple Leagues

It looks like Netflix will be getting into the live sports world soon. According to Deadline, the streamer has been looking into acquiring the rights to various sports leagues and events. Netflix has looked into streaming several tennis tours and the World Surf League. Deadline says those deals have not come to fruition as of now.

“Sports is the baseline now, we all know it, and finding the right properties, the right leagues is a priority, but it is always a question of the right league, the right deal,” a Netflix insider told Deadline. This comes as NFL Sunday Ticket is looking to make the jump to a streaming service. Netflix could put itself in the mix for the package but other streaming services will also pony up a lot of money to land a deal that would include all the games from Sunday action. 

Live sports streaming seems to be the current trend. Prime Video kicked off an 11-year exclusive contract with the NFL for Thursday Night Football, while Apple TV+ and Peacock streamed live MLB baseball this season. Additionally, Apple TV+ landed a deal with Major League Soccer, and every match will air on the streaming service. The deal will start in 2023 and run through the 2032 season. 

“For the first time in the history of sports, fans will be able to access everything from a major professional sports league in one place,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said in a statement back in June. “It’s a dream come true for MLS fans, soccer fans, and anyone who loves sports. No fragmentation, no frustration — just the flexibility to sign up for one convenient service that gives you everything MLS, anywhere and anytime you want to watch. We can’t wait to make it easy for even more people to fall in love with MLS and root for their favorite club.”  

Landing NFL games on Netflix would be huge. The streaming service has a total of 73.4 million subscribers, which is an attractive number for the NFL. Along with Prime Video, NFL games can be seen on Paramount+, Peacock and one game streamed exclusively on ESPN+. However, the games that stream on Paramount+ and Peacock are games that air on CBS and NBC, respectively.