Netflix is reportedly on the verge of playing the part of The Grinch for NFL fans who want their games on normal television.
John Ourand of Puck reports that Netflix is in the midst of negotiations with the NFL to carry its Christmas Day games this season. Ourand also notes that the negotiations are the reason why the league is late in releasing the 2024 schedule.
The NFL’s 2024 schedule is set to be released on Wednesday, May 15.
According to Ourand, a deal between Netflix and the NFL has yet to be officially signed. However, he reports that it “looks like” Netflix will carry two games on Christmas this season.
Boomer Esiason, former quarterback and New York radio host, was the first to float the news of Netflix carrying NFL games earlier this week.
Amazon Prime Video is currently the home of the NFL’s Thursday Night Football broadcasts. Meanwhile, NBC has recently experimented with moving some of its games to its streaming service, Peacock.
As for Netflix, the streaming giant has been taking steps toward more live content in recent months. Netflix recently aired a live broadcast of The Roast of Tom Brady and is set to become the home of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” broadcasts.
The pending deal is the latest example of streaming providers branching out into live sports. For leagues, it represents a new platform to grow their audience with.
But for fans, it can present a headache when trying to watch their teams.
Putting Christmas Day games on Netflix would take those games off of television for the vast majority of viewers across the country.
Although, the NFL typically has a deal in place where games must be simulcast on conventional TV channels in a team’s home market in the case of national broadcasts or streaming-only games.
