Netflix wants to make your yuletide a little merrier this year, and it likely spent much more than the traditionally accepted $50 limit to do it. The world’s largest streaming service agreed to a deal with the NFL in May to stream two live games this Christmas. Fans on social media have always had mixed feelings (at best) about streaming-exclusive NFL matchups, but a new survey from Casino.org shows that NFL audiences are particularly leery of the scheme to offer Netflix-exclusive games on Christmas.

Key Details:

• Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they didn’t like the idea of NFL games on Netflix.
• More than 75% of participants said they wouldn’t buy a Netflix subscription to watch the games.
• CBS is the most preferred alternative to Netflix for the games, which viewers can stream via Paramount+.

The study fielded by Casino.org reached 3,000 NFL fans, and asked their thoughts about the idea of streaming games live on Netflix. It found that 59% of fans didn’t like Christmas Day NFL games, though 56.7% still said they planned to watch the games.

The survey also found that 76.5% of respondents said they wouldn’t buy a new Netflix subscription to watch the games. On other streaming services, this might be a problem; after all, the NFL is the most popular product on TV in the United States, and if live NFL games can’t draw people to a service, what will? But Netflix already has nearly 85 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada alone, and while it will probably see a nominal uptick in new customers, adding a large number of them was likely never at the top of its priorities list when adding these NFL games to its inventory.

The most-given reason that fans don’t want to purchase a new Netflix subscription is the price associated. This was a common complaint for the ESPN+-exclusive game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 21, and while Netflix’s ad-supported plan is actually the cheapest on the market among major streamers, many budgets simply don’t have room for another $7-per-month streaming service that they don’t intend to watch regularly.

So where would viewers rather watch the Christmas Day games from the NFL? The study found that the largest number of fans preferred CBS, as 24.5% of respondents identified it as their first choice. Cable came next at 23.6%, while Netflix was the third-most-given answer at 14.3%. Viewers can always stream CBS’s Sunday afternoon NFL slate on Paramount+.

Netflix will have to take care that no serious issues crop up during the stream, as they did during its “Love is Blind” reunion special in 2023. That was one of the first-ever live events on the streamer, and it’s had plenty of practice since. That probably helps to explain why the majority (66.4%) of viewers aren’t worried about the quality of the stream.

There aren’t many bright spots in Casino.org’s survey regarding Netflix, other than the fact that most fans still plan to watch the games anyway and aren’t worried about the quality of the stream. Fans are willing to respond to streaming-exclusive NFL games, as the success of Peacock’s exclusive playoff game last year makes clear. But they’re also none too thrilled and are increasingly worried that the increase in streaming games will eventually lead to a pay-per-view Super Bowl someday.

Sign Up

netflix.com

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.”

…

The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

Netflix offers three plans – stream on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard with Ads” ($8.99) plan, on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard” ($19.99) plan, and 4 devices in up to 4K on the “Premium” ($26.99) plan.

Sign Up

$8.99+ / month

netflix.com