
Sunday afternoon NFL games could soon be heading to Netflix in potential seismic shift in sports TV viewing
Netflix is interested in bidding on the NFL 's Sunday afternoon games in a hail mary move that could disrupt cable TV, according to a report.
Bela Bajaria, chief content officer of Netflix, told the Puck in a podcast interview that the streaming giant will bid on Sunday afternoon games.
CBS and Fox are currently the homes of Sunday afternoon football games. NBC hosts Sunday night games, Amazon hosts Thursday night games, and ABC/ESPN hosts Monday night games.
These current broadcast deals are up in 2033, but the NFL can end the deal four years early in 2029, making Netflix a potential player, according to NBC Sports.
Fox and CBS have been hanging onto their slices of football coverage since the 1990s. Fox acquired the National Football Conference package from CBS in 1994, while CBS acquired the American Football Conference package from NBC in 1998, NBC Sports reported.
Netflix boasts a global audience, which could give the NFL a chance to expand its reach. The streaming service hosted the NFL's Christmas Day games, drawing 65 million viewers from 218 countries, the company said based on Nielsen data.
This could be a major touchdown for the streaming service, as the NFL made up 72 of the top 100 most-watched broadcasts of 2024, Sportico reported.
Even the contentious election coverage didn't really make a dent. The top two broadcasts were the Super Bowl, which welcomed 123 million viewers, followed by the second presidential debate, which welcomed 67 million.
2024 Nielsen data obtained by Variety perhaps illustrates the magnitude of the draw of airing football coverage. CBS, which hosted last year's Super Bowl, topped the charts as the most-watched network of 2024. NBC, ABC and Fox trailed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
36 minutes ago
- Reuters
Reports: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin skips minicamp
June 10 - Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin did not report to the start of the team's mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as he seeks a contract extension, multiple media outlets reported. McLaurin, whose contract expires after the 2025 season, was absent from Commanders' voluntary organized team activities but did attend the first month of workouts. Players who bypass mandatory minicamp practices are subject to daily fines with a maximum three-day penalty of around $104,000, per the NFL's collective bargaining agreement. McLaurin skipped voluntary OTA practices as well as the mandatory minicamp in 2022 prior to signing a three-year contract extension. He has a base salary of $15.5 million for the upcoming season. McLaurin, who turns 30 in September, recorded a career-best 13 touchdown receptions to go along with 82 catches for 1,096 yards in 2024. The two-time Pro Bowl selection has not missed a game since 2020. He has 460 career receptions for 6,379 yards with 38 touchdowns since being selected by Washington in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. --Field Level Media


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford make same vow as fight announced
After months of anticipation, the blockbuster super-middleweight showdown between Alvarez and Crawford has finally been confirmed and will take place later this year Both Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez have made a confident vow after their super-fight was made official. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh confirmed the blockbuster Riyadh Season showdown between the two pound-for-pound stars - which will take place in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 13. Alalshikh will team up with UFC president Dana White and Sela to promote the event - which promises to be one of the biggest fights of the year. Popular streaming service Netflix will broadcast the fight live globally to its 300+ million subscribers at no additional cost. With a little over three months to go until the super-middleweight dust-up, Alvarez and Crawford have both expressed their excitement about the upcoming contest. Following confirmation of the news, Alvarez - who beat William Scull last month - said: 'I'm super happy to be making history again and this time on a Riyadh Season Card that will be broadcast on Netflix. On September 13, I'm ready to show once again that I am the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.' Similarly, Crawford has also vowed to put on a career-defining display and secure an emphatic victory on fight night. 'My perfect record speaks for itself," Crawford said. "I am the best fighter in the world and no matter the opponent or weight class, I have always come out on top. On September 13, my hand will be raised once again as the world watches greatness.' With preparations already well underway, Alalshikh has vowed to deliver 'something truly incredible' for the boxing faithful come fight night. 'On September 13, Canelo and Crawford, two legends of boxing, will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century," he said. "Alongside Dana White and Sela, we will deliver something truly incredible in Las Vegas for fans around the world to enjoy through Netflix.' Recently, Alalshikh made a sudden U-turn about the event suggesting it would instead promoted as a Riyadh Season event, with White appearing to be left out in the cold. However, immediately after UFC 316 in New Jersey last weekend, White insisted everything is still running as planned with Alalshikh. And, on Tuesday afternoon, following confirmation that White WILL still be involved, the UFC president - who recently launched the new TKO boxing league, said: 'Turki wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing and this is right up my alley. Are you kidding me that the first boxing fight I'm going to get to promote is Canelo vs. Crawford? It's literally a once in a lifetime fight. Live on Saturday, September 13, streaming globally on Netflix, two of the GREATEST boxers in the sport will meet in a historic fight from Las Vegas.' Ahead of the mouthwatering event, Alvarez and Crawford will stage a three-city international press tour, kicking off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, June 20 before heading to the United States for stops in New York at Fanatics Fest on Sunday, June 22 and in Las Vegas on Friday, June 27. 'Saul' has been a dominant force since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2013. He has recently scored wins over Scull, Edgar Berlanga, Jaime Munguia, Jermell Charlo, and John Ryder. Meanwhile, Crawford, has not fought since defeating Israil Madrimov last August. The 37-year-old will be moving up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez.


Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Report: Bengals contact Trey Hendrickson, gain no traction toward deal
June 10 - NFL sacks leader Trey Hendrickson remains on the sideline with stalled contract talks with the Cincinnati Bengals pointing to a prolonged absence from the team. The Athletic reported the Bengals reached out to Hendrickson on Monday but conversations were fruitless. The defensive end is expected to be absent from minicamp as he looks for a new deal or trade that would bring him the payday he desires. Cincinnati did get rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart in the building in a relative sign of progress. But Stewart, a first-round pick, is unsigned and ESPN reported he won't participate on the field this week without a contract. With a base salary of $15.8 million, Hendrickson believes he's underpaid relative to the market value of the top-paid players at his position. He has a salary cap hit of $18.6 million this season and led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024. No player has more sacks combined over the past two seasons than Hendrickson (35). Hendrickson, 30, hasn't been with the team for a month -- since he came to the facility on May 13 for a face-to-face meeting with head coach Zac Taylor. Taylor told Hendrickson at the time the Bengals would have no choice but to fine him if he didn't come to mandatory minicamp and training camp in July. "A little bit transpired between me and Zac," Hendrickson said. "We've tried to keep it as least amount as personal as possible, but at some point, in this process, it becomes personal." Stewart, 21, is not planning to sign with the Bengals until they adjust the language in their contract offer to match the outline of the team's previous two first-round selections, according to multiple reports. --Field Level Media