Earlier this week, in a podcast interview, Bela Bajaria, the chief content officer at Netflix, commented that her company may be interested in bidding in a package of Sunday afternoon NFL games. At present, CBS and Fox have the media rights to Sunday afternoon games.

The announcement surprised many since it ran counter to the current programming strategy of Netflix, the largest streaming provider with over 300 million global subscribers. During its latest quarterly earnings report held last month, Ted Sarandos, Netflix co-CEO had commented on the economic challenge of streaming a full-season major league sports schedule. Last Christmas Netflix streamed two NFL games.

On Sunday afternoon, Fox has been televising primarily NFC games since 1994 when the outbid the then incumbent network CBS for the rights. Televising NFL games helped to legitimize Fox as a broadcast network. In 1998 CBS acquired the AFC package of games from NBC.

Starting with the 2023 season, a new 11-year $111 million media rights agreement between the NFL and their media partners kicked-in. Under the agreement, CBS and Paramount+ pays $2.1 billion a season for the NFL. Also, as part of the new agreement, Fox pays $2.2 billion each season for the NFL. Fox games will also be available on Tubi. Both networks will continue to televise postseason games including Super Bowls.

While the current media rights agreement will expire in 2033, the NFL can opt out of the contract with all their media partners (excluding Disney) after the 2029 season . With the league continuing to be a ratings juggernaut, it is widely expected they will exercise that option. Hence, the earliest Netflix could stream regular season NFL games won’t happen for another five years at the earliest.

Despite a slight dip in ratings in 2024, the NFL, by a wide margin, continues to be the most popular program. In spite of such quadrennial events as the Presidential election and Summer Olympics, the NFL ratings continue to dominate accounting for 72 of the 100 most watched telecasts in 2024 (including the two games on Netflix). Nonetheless, this was a decline from the record 93 NFL telecasts in 2023.

During the 2024 regular season NFL games averaged 19.4 million viewers. CBS averaged 19.2 million viewers, a slight dip from 19.3 million in 2023. The ten late Sunday afternoon “national” games on CBS averaged 24.3 million viewers, a decline from 24.6 million viewers in 2023.

In 2024, NFL games on Fox averaged 18.4 million viewers, a decline from 19.0 million viewers in 2023. The late Sunday afternoon “America’s Game of the Week” on Fox, averaged 23.9 million viewers in 2024, down from 24.6 million in 2023.

Week in and week out the late Sunday afternoon regular season games either CBS or Fox consistently average more viewers than any regular season package of prime-time NFL games or, for that matter, any other regularly scheduled program.

The Netflix comment came in the aftermath of Super Bowl LIX. For the third straight year, the Super Bowl set an average audience record. This month, on average, 127.7 million viewers watched the “big game” across Fox, Fox Deportes and Telemundo and streamed on Tubi and NFL digital properties. In addition, using Nielsen’s new Big Data + Panel, Super Bowl LIX set another record with 182.8 million unique viewers that tuned in for at least one minute. Still another record was set, with widespread reports the cost of a :30 ad had reached $8 million.

With the NFL expressing a continued interest in expanding globally (flag football will be a demonstration sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics), there is a growing expectation the league will be scheduling an ongoing package of games originating outside the U.S. Netflix, with its global distribution, is thought to be a potential partner for Sunday morning NFL games. There has even been speculation that the host city for future Super Bowls could be held outside the U.S., although no announcements are expected any time soon.

In a first, last Christmas Netflix live streamed an NFL doubleheader. Netflix paid $150 million for the rights. Netflix will also be streaming NFL games on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026. In the U.S. the Kansas City-Pittsburgh game had an average minute audience of 24.1 million viewers. The Baltimore-Houston game had an AMA of 24.3 million.

Globally, The Kansas City-Pittsburgh game had an AMA of 30 million globally. The Baltimore-Houston game had an AMA of 31.3 million viewers. The game was available in 218 nations.

According to Nielsen, led by the two NFL games (and a slew of Holiday programming), Christmas in the U.S. became the most streamed day ever recorded amassing 51.2 billion minutes of viewing. On January 11, led by a Wild Card playoff game (Pittsburgh-Baltimore) on Prime Video became the second highest day of streaming in the U.S. with over 47 billion minutes. Nielsen reports, in January 2025, streaming usage had increased year-over-year by 21%.

Besides the Christmas Day doubleheader, Netflix, has in the past, streamed a few high-profile sporting events. These include former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a boxing match against social media influencer and boxer Jake Paul. Netflix also streamed a tennis event pitting Spaniard Rafael Nadal taking on fellow countryman Carlos Alcarez.

In January Netflix took over WWE Raw from USA Network. In December Netflix acquired exclusive U.S. rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup for 2027 and 2031. Looking ahead, there are reports that Netflix may be on the U.S. rights for Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC) and Formula 1 racing, both are up for renewal this year.

In January Netflix raised the monthly rate for their standard membership from $15.49 to $17.99 Continued rate increases can be expected if Netflix continues to acquire more premier sporting events. (The monthly fee for the ad supported package remained unchanged at $7.99.)