Netflix’s NFL pregame show got off to a rocky start on Wednesday, marking an ominous beginning to the streaming giant’s foray into live sports coverage. During the introduction, viewers were left in silence for the first 20 seconds as studio host Kay Adams’ voice failed to transmit.The technical hiccups didn’t end there. Barely nine minutes into the show, studio analyst Mina Kimes, delivering insights into Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive line challenges, was abruptly interrupted by a promo for Squid Game 2. The unintended cut was a stark and jarring shift that seemed to highlight inefficiencies in the broadcast’s execution—something the infamous Squid Game Frontman would surely frown upon.
Despite the glitches, the show pressed on to cover the Kansas City Chiefs’ decisive 29-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the early mishaps provided fodder for critics questioning Netflix’s readiness for live sports broadcasting.At 11:11 a.m. ET, Netflix’s debut NFL pregame show was shaping up to be a PR nightmare. The audio issues and abrupt interruptions during the early segments were not a good look for the streaming giant.Fortunately, things improved as the broadcast progressed, but not without lingering concerns. By the fourth quarter, several industry insiders reported buffering problems that disrupted their viewing experience. For NFL fans, their Christmas wish was simple: Netflix needed to resolve the technical challenges that marred not just this broadcast, but also the high-profile Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing event last month, which had been plagued by severe buffering and freezing issues.
While viewers weren’t expecting a groundbreaking pregame show or holiday miracles, they did expect a seamless viewing experience—something Netflix must prioritize if it hopes to secure a foothold in live sports broadcasting.(Apologies for the tortured Mariah Carey reference.) Fortunately, Netflix managed to resolve most of the technical issues as the day progressed. The Athletic will provide updates on how the subsequent Ravens-Texans game and Beyoncé’s performance fared on the platform.The bigger story here is the evolving partnership between Netflix and the NFL. In May, the two announced a three-season deal to air Christmas Day games starting in 2024. This collaboration gains even greater significance given Netflix’s recent acquisition of exclusive U.S. broadcast rights for the 2027 and 2031 editions of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
These moves signal Netflix’s transition from focusing on sports-adjacent content, like documentaries, to becoming a serious contender in the live sports broadcasting arena. Another bold step is the company’s exclusive rights deal for WWE Raw, the iconic weekly pro wrestling show.Netflix reportedly paid $150 million to air Wednesday’s NFL games—a hefty sum for most but a mere “rounding error” for a company with 282.3 million subscribers in over 190 countries. As Netflix continues to secure high-profile sports and live event rights, it’s clear the streaming giant is positioning itself as a dominant player in the live entertainment landscape, aiming to capture even broader audiences in the years ahead.In a report on Monday, The Wall Street Journal highlighted Netflix’s struggle with preparing for the significant surge in traffic during the Tyson-Paul boxing card.
According to the piece, Netflix did not adequately prepare its content-delivery systems or coordinate with its internet service provider partners to handle the spike in viewership. This led to the streaming issues that plagued the broadcast.Netflix’s internal estimates suggest that the NFL Christmas Day games could draw as many as 35 million concurrent streams globally. For context, last year’s Chiefs-Raiders game on CBS and Nickelodeon averaged 29.2 million viewers, marking the largest Christmas NFL broadcast audience since 1989. This indicates not only the growing importance of Netflix’s sports offerings but also the substantial demand they’re likely to face moving forward.
Given this projection, the streaming giant faces significant challenges in scaling its infrastructure to meet the increasing demands of live sports broadcasts, especially as it moves deeper into the live sports market.One key difference between the Tyson-Paul event and Netflix’s NFL Christmas production was the outsourcing of production responsibilities. CBS was tasked with handling the game broadcast, while NFL Media took on the pregame, halftime, and postgame shows. This unique collaboration saw a mix of NFL talent from multiple networks, including CBS, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network, and Fox.The event offered a coveted opportunity for front-facing NFL TV talent, with many industry insiders seeing the potential long-term benefits of cultivating a professional relationship with Netflix. According to multiple talent agents, who spoke anonymously to The Athletic, Netflix paid talent between high five figures and low six figures depending on their role, with on-air talent involved in the game itself receiving compensation at the higher end of that range.
This pay scale, coupled with the streaming giant’s growing involvement in live sports broadcasting, has made Netflix an increasingly attractive partner for sports broadcasters. As the platform continues to secure exclusive rights and deepen its investment in sports, it has become a major player in the industry, with many sports media professionals eager to be part of its expansion into live-event coverage.As for the quality of the pregame content, it was clear that the collaboration of different groups for the first time resulted in a mixture of hits and misses. Drew Brees, who has expressed a desire to return to broadcasting, appeared as part of the pregame show as well as the international broadcast. It will be interesting to see if this leads to more opportunities for him. Meanwhile, Laura Rutledge, Jason McCourty, and Devin McCourty displayed easy chemistry, providing some of the more natural moments in the broadcast. However, the ad load was notably heavy for viewers, a common issue in modern sports broadcasts.
One area where Netflix did excel was in choosing established broadcasters for the game itself. The Chiefs-Steelers broadcast booth featured the experienced trio of Ian Eagle, Nate Burleson, and J.J. Watt, with Stacey Dales and Melanie Collins serving as sideline reporters. Their professional and informative delivery provided the expected high level of quality.Watt also showed his comfort in the booth by acknowledging upfront that he was calling his brother’s (Steelers lineman T.J. Watt) game, a smart move to avoid pretending that the family connection wasn’t a factor. While there were some early technical hiccups—like an off audio for the national anthem and an odd graphic that showed the Steelers starting the game with two timeouts instead of the usual three—these were corrected quickly and didn’t detract from the overall broadcast quality.
The fourth-quarter issues understandably frustrated viewers accustomed to the reliability of over-the-air networks and cable, where such disruptions are rare—outside of local broadband outages. For Netflix, these challenges are part of their growing pains in sports broadcasting.As Ed Desser, president of Desser Sports Media Inc. and a former senior media executive for the NBA, told The Athletic, “Netflix is still in the discovery phase.” He emphasized that the streaming giant is in what amounts to an R&D phase, learning from each broadcast to refine and improve its offerings. “This is an R&D measure for them, and they will learn from it,” he said.
While this broadcast wasn’t Netflix’s finest NFL presentation, it’s important to recognize that the stream held up for the most part despite some technical glitches. Considering the scale of the undertaking and the growing pains inherent in live sports streaming, this can still be considered a win for both Netflix and the NFL for now. However, there’s no denying that they still have a long way to go before they can provide the same seamless experience fans expect from traditional TV networks.