Breaking Down the Data to Determine What Sports Could Netflix Pursue; NBA, NFL, Tennis, Other Possibilities
New data from Ampere Analysis demonstrates which sports could make viable acquisition targets for Netflix going forward.
Netflix has kept its messaging on the addition of more sports rights incredibly consistent throughout the years. Company officials have repeatedly denied that Netflix wants to be a sports streaming platform, but its forays into the field seem to bely those denials to a certain degree. Earlier this year, the world’s largest streamer closed a deal to become the host of “WWE Raw” starting in 2025, and recently announced a live boxing card headlined by Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Those deals could set the table for Netflix to go after other sports rights in the future and new data released by Ampere Analysis is helping to quantify which sports might be best for Netflix to pursue going forward, and why.
- Ampere finds that the NBA’s international broadcast rights could be the best sport for Netflix to pursue next.
- Netflix has a docuseries about the NBA in production, and has been linked to rights for the league’s In-Season Tournament.
- Other options for Netflix include combat sports, tennis, and NFL football.
The data compiled by Ampere shows that Netflix might be best served by pursuing international NBA rights. The league is seeking a big raise from its next broadcasting deal and could get a total sum of $75 billion or more from domestic partners. There’s been plenty of discussion as to the best U.S.-based streaming partner for the NBA, but Netflix has not been meaningfully involved in those discussions because of its previously-expressed hesitance to invest in live sports rights.
Acquiring rights to stream the Association outside the U.S. and China could cost much less than a domestic streaming package, however; Ampere estimates that international NBA rights currently sell for a cumulative total of around $155 million per season, considerably less than the $500 million Netflix is paying per year for rights to “WWE Raw.”
In addition, 22 of the 27 countries surveyed by Ampere show that at least 4% of audiences already engage with the NBA, including countries in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions that have large basketball fanbases. The league runs from October to June, so there will be a large inventory of games stretching across the majority of the year for Netflix to monetize. Perhaps most importantly from Netflix’s perspective, there’s a large opportunity for ancillary NBA-themed programming. Netflix is already planning a documentary about the NBA, so it has a clear interest in making content related to the league, which fits into its sports-programming strategy.
What Other Sports Should Be on Netflix’s Radar?
According to Ampere’s data, international NBA rights are not the only sport that Netflix could think about pursuing. The crown jewel of international sports programming is the NFL, with its rabid American fanbase and a high portion of international audiences also showing significant interest in the league. Ampere’s numbers show that viewers would be willing to pay more for Netflix to watch NFL games as well, and the streamer just announced its new “Receiver” NFL docuseries which will follow high-profile wide receivers from the league like Deebo Samuel and Davante Adams. Netflix already carries “Quarterback,” which centers on several high-profile NFL signal callers.
NFL rights would be both expensive and difficult to acquire, however. The league’s domestic rights are currently locked up until after the 2032 season, and unless a company like Paramount decides to surrender some of its expensive yearly package of games, there is not a slate of domestic broadcast rights available for Netflix to acquire.
However, ATP Tour tennis events are a possibility. A smaller proportion of fans of this sport are willing to pay more to watch it on Netflix than NBA fans are, but the percentage of viewers who enjoy tennis in the countries surveyed is higher. Best yet, Netflix can use acquired tennis rights to point to content like its docuseries “Break Point,” following its strategy of pursuing sports that promote its other content.
UFC fighting is available through pay-per-views on ESPN+ in the United States, which explains why Ampere’s data shows such a high number of viewers willing to pay more to watch it as they are already accustomed to doing just that. Netflix is already building its combat sports portfolio with the WWE deal, as well as with the live boxing card between YouTube influencer-turned fighter Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson slated to appear later this year.
There’s a wide variety of options in front of Netflix, and its position as the only streaming service to show a regular profit means it’s got the money to go after whatever it wants within reason. Ampere’s data demonstrates which sports are best for Netflix to go after in the future, despite its insistence that it does not want to become a big-time sports streamer.
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