Predicting 2026 headlines: Netflix chases the NFL
Predicting 2026 headlines: Netflix chases the NFL
I think Netflix may have a hard time resisting a major pursuit of an NFL game package if the league starts negotiating this year.
As the world’s largest streaming service, Netflix’s power to generate headlines is undeniable. The streamer is quite capable of making moves that reshape the world entertainment industry, as it proved when it embarked on what appears to be a successful pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery in late 2025.
There’s still a long way to go for Netflix before that transaction is completed, but if it is carried through to the end, it will inarguably be a major story for the streamer in 2026. However, I think Netflix will undertake a pursuit of even greater scope this year as it continues to try to monopolize viewer engagement to the greatest possible extent: that of a package of Sunday NFL games.
For many years, Netflix refused to entertain the idea of streaming live sports at all. The streamer focused all of its efforts on building up the library of original content and licensed titles that have made it a must-have among consumers, and any time executives were asked, they simply said that sports rights cost too much money.
But there have been major changes to Netflix’s philosophy over the last couple of years. Now, the streamer is willing to pursue any live sports it thinks it can turn into a major programming event that will engage a large percentage of its subscribers. That includes a small package of NFL games; in 2024, the streamer made a deal to offer two NFL games on Christmas Day through 2026.
The partnership of the NFL and Netflix paid dividends immediately, as the initial games on the service drew big crowds to the service. Just a couple of months later, Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said that the streamer would have interest in a package of Sunday afternoon NFL games if they were to become available.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters seemed to throw water on the idea once again in October, but I’m not convinced. A partnership between the NFL and Netflix on a Sunday package of games would be a game-changer in sports media and make the streamer even more of a powerhouse than it is today. To be sure, it’ll be costly — somewhere in the neighborhood of $3 billion per season or more. But Netflix has deep pockets.
What about its philosophy of only pursuing spotlight events to stream on Netflix? To that, I would offer the counter that 83 of the top 100 television broadcasts of 2025 were NFL games. Each contest is already a major viewing event in its own right. The league may have reservations about pulling games off broadcast channels like CBS or Fox, but the large subscriber total Netflix can boast should help to allay concerns about reach.
On paper, the NFL’s broadcast deals with current partners don’t end for several years yet. But in reality, the league can sit down and start negotiating its next TV contracts as soon as this year, and I firmly expect Netflix to have a seat at that table to try and get itself a package of Sunday afternoon NFL games.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”