Netflix Could Stream its First Live Sports Event This Fall
- Laurent Giret
- Jun 13, 2023
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Netflix is reportedly in discussions to stream its first live sports event later this fall. According to the Wall Street Journal, the sports event Netflix is working on is a celebrity golf tournament that could feature both professional golfers and Formula One drivers.
‘The company is in early discussions about the golf tournament, some of the people said. Set in Las Vegas, the event would feature celebrities from “Drive to Survive,” a docuseries about Formula One auto-racing, and “Full Swing,” which followed professional golfers during the 2022 season,” the WSJ reported.
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If Netflix already offers various sports documentary series to its subscribers, the company has also been trying to snag rights from live sports events. The WSJ previously reported that Netflix bid for the U.S. streaming rights to Formula One last year but lost them to ESPN. The streaming platform also failed to get rights to tennis and cycling events.
Netflix previously experimented with streaming live events with a stand-up comedy special with Chris Rock, followed by a special reunion event of its “Love is Blind” reality show. However, a live sports event with celebrities has the potential to attract much more viewers.
While Netflix is still testing the waters with live sports programming, other streaming platforms have already made some pretty big investments. Google has an NFL Sunday Ticket offering on YouTube and YouTube TV, Apple launched an MLS Season Pass on its Apple TV app, and Amazon is reportedly working on a new standalone video app for sports content.