((Automated translation by Reuters, please see disclaimer https://bit.ly/rtrsauto))
(Source change and recast throughout the year)
Netflix announced Wednesday that it will broadcast two National Football League games on Christmas Day this year, stepping up efforts to add more live programming to its streaming service.
It will also broadcast at least one game on Christmas Day in 2025 and 2026 as part of the exclusive three-season deal.
This is the first time that Netflix NFLX.O has acquired the rights to one of the biggest sports leagues in the world and it is also the first time that it has broadcast live football.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer, said Wednesday that “no annual live event, sporting or otherwise, compares to the audience that NFL football attracts.”
The company did not disclose the financial terms of the deal. Bloomberg News, which first reported the negotiations, said Netflix would pay less than $150 million per game.
The NFL is the most watched sports league in the United States. This year’s Super Bowl game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers attracted a record 123.7 million American viewers.
“If you’re in the TV advertising business, you need the NFL,” LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield told X.
In recent months, the streaming pioneer has turned to live events and sports to build user loyalty and expand its advertising business, amid saturated growth in its biggest market, the United States. United.
Netflix signed a more than $5 billion rights deal in January to be the exclusive home of World Wrestling Entertainment’s RAW and live-streamed a tennis face-off between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz in March.
Nonetheless, the deal with the NFL marks a new milestone for the company, which just last year had hinted that it had no plans to compete for sports rights due to the considerable investments that they require.
Its rivals have also seized the rights to major sports leagues in recent years. Amazon Prime AMZN.O has rights to Thursday Night Football and Apple TV+
AAPL.O is home to Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer.
2024-05-15 15:03:57
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