Netflix is the current home of NFL games for just a singular day each year but in this new era of streaming services dominating the attention spans (and wallets) of Americans, it wouldn't be out of the question to see the movie-streaming giant get in the game too.
However, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters put that speculation to rest — at least for now.
"It doesn’t really fit with our strategy," he told Deadline's Dade Hayes in a broader industry interview on Wednesday. “We want to be disciplined."
Now, a smart businessman could just be waving the press of his company's scent. The next time broadcast rights for the NFL are expected to become available is 2030 but extension negotiations could begin as soon as next year. Perhaps Peters just wants potential competitors to make lower offers so Netflix can swoop in to snag a package.
Netflix's latest NFL comments shouldn't indicate streaming giant is content with just Christmas games
The NFL Christmas Day games on Netflix in 2024 set streaming records with 24 million viewers on average tuning in. Globally, those contests drew in an average 30 million viewers and totaled 65 million unique viewers in the U.S.
Those are encouraging numbers and not an indication that there isn't an appetite for NFL games on streaming services like Netflix. Now, there is entirely the possibility that NFL fans were forced to Netflix because there was nowhere else to go and boycotting the entertainment was not an attractive enough option.
That should tell every NFL fan to not discount Netflix from the next round of rights negotiations. In fact, the company's chief content officer revealed in February it was interested in trying to acquire a slate of Sunday afternoon games like CBS and Fox currently have claim to.
So, this all could very well be a ploy to give a false sense of security to the networks already with a firm stake in the NFL's availability. Keep your eyes peeled for developments as negotiations potentially reopen next year.