Netflix is reportedly looking to get into Live Sports after all
Netflix is reportedly exploring the idea of bringing live shows to its site. According to The Wall Street Journal, the broadcaster recently tried to acquire the rights to the men’s tennis tour of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in some European countries, such as France and the UK, before it eventually pulled out of the deal. That would mean players like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Carlos Alcaraz would be coming to Netflix screens. There have also been talks to bid for other events, including UK rights to the ATP’s women’s partner, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and several cycling tournaments, according to WSJ sources. It turns out that Netflix executives have in the past had discussions about buying “minor leagues,” in an effort to avoid the rising costs of bidding for major sports rights.
“Sports is a staple now, we all know it, and finding the right venues, the right leagues is a priority, but it’s always a question of the right league, the right deal,” a Netflix insider said. deadline, as the platform resumes its hunt for live sports licenses, at a time when all the major teams are in long-term deals with competing platforms. In India, England’s Premier Soccer League is tied to Disney+ Hotstar, alongside the Indian Cricket Team’s games, the crown jewel. Meanwhile, the digital rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL) are now in the hands of Mukesh Ambani, with Viacom18 owned by Reliance Industries overtaking Disney Star this year.
Netflix hasn’t had live sports since its inception, unless you count the occasional sports documentaries. Its biggest hit is undoubtedly Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which premiered in March 2019, and was renewed in May for a fifth and sixth season. like saying The WSJ, Netflix’s bid for US broadcast rights to Formula One, but lost to Disney’s ESPN. This company was also looking to buy the World Surf League, late last year, although the negotiations between these organizations failed, as both did not reach a general agreement. Some Netflix executives believe the broadcaster can take unknown sports franchises and make them mainstream.
Deadline notes that Netflix has long been opposed to the idea of adding live programming to its site, but “the realities of 2022, when the company experienced an unusual decline in subscriber numbers and sales associated with its stock, forced a reconsideration. .” To combat the declining number of subscribers, Netflix recently launched an ad-supported section called “Ad-supported Basic” of the program in 12 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain , UK. and the US. Priced at $6.99 (approx. Rs. 569) in the US, it comes with 4–5 minutes of ads per hour, and no download feature.
In the US, streaming services have become accustomed to the idea of including live sports on their site. Amazon has only 11 years of NFL (National Football League) Thursday Night Football, while Apple TV+ and Peacock held the exclusive rights to broadcast Major League Baseball last season. Apple TV is also the new home of America’s top soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS), for the next 10 years.
