The NFL debut on Netflix was hyped to be a game-changer. But it turned out to be more like a fumbled pass.
After shelling out a whopping $150 million for two Christmas Day games, expectations were sky-high. The Chiefs and Steelers geared up for kickoff. But Netflix showed that it might be the king of binge-worthy dramas, but live sports is a whole different ball game.
There were technical glitches and misplaced ads. And wasn’t that a rollercoaster ride for the viewers? Everyone hoped Netflix had learned its lesson after the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight fiasco. The buffering issues left millions frustrated.
Sadly, the same mistakes came back to haunt the streaming giant. It raised a concern regarding Netflix if it can actually handle the heat of live sports.
Let’s get into what went wrong and why Netflix’s NFL debut felt like déjà vu from the Tyson-Paul fight.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.
NFL on Netflix: Does the shadow of the Tyson-Paul fight linger?
Netflix’s NFL coverage had a lot riding on it. Especially after the infamous Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. That event drew a massive 65 million live streams but was plagued by buffering issues.
It turned the high-energy boxing match into a frustrating experience for many. Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos reportedly said in a December conference:
"We were stressing our own technology, we were pushing every ISP in the world right to the limits of their own capacity, we were stressing the limits of the internet itself."
For the NFL broadcast, Netflix promised improvements. They outsourced game production to CBS and had NFL Media take care of the postgame and pre-halftime coverage.
Yet, despite these efforts, there were glitches. Thus, proving that live sports might be Netflix’s Achilles’ heel.
NFL on Netflix: The fumbles
Netflix’s NFL broadcast started with a hiccup. But before we get into that, let’s discuss the major mishap.
During the opening drive of the Chiefs vs. Steelers matchup, the scorebug incorrectly displayed that the Steelers had only two timeouts instead of three. Many may think it was a small error.
But when it comes to the football purists, it’s a glaring one. It took Netflix several minutes to fix. And by that time Twitter had already unleashed its wrath.
If first impressions matter, Netflix’s NFL debut was off to a rough start. The streaming quality itself held up better than during the Tyson-Paul fight. But these technical stumbles were enough to irritate fans.
If we are to talk about poor timing, we have to talk about the cut for the ad. Mina Kimes was mid-sentence when bam! An ad for Squid Game season 2 cut her off.
As for the opening, Kay Adams began the pregame show. And her microphone stayed off for a good 10 seconds. It left viewers staring at a silent screen. Not exactly the grand entrance fans were hoping for.
Can Netflix handle the load?
Streaming live sports isn’t like streaming series. It’s a beast of its own. It requires massive infrastructure to handle millions of concurrent viewers.
Traditional networks like CBS don’t need extra capacity as more people tune in. But, Netflix does. That’s where things get tricky.
Dan Rayburn, a streaming industry expert, explained that Netflix has to make its service work on a variety of devices. There’s Roku, Apple TV, Xbox, and more. And each with its quirks. Also, the internet connection varies across 190+ countries. So, all in all, there’s a potential for chaos.
Netflix has reportedly improved its partnerships with ISPs to boost interconnection capacity. But the NFL’s Christmas Day games proved they’re not quite there yet.
The road ahead is clear. Netflix needs to iron out its live-streaming issues. It needs to double down on testing. And ensure its broadcasts are glitch-free. Otherwise, they risk becoming the laughingstock of the sports world.
Netflix’s first attempt at NFL coverage was a mixed bag. It’s a platform known for its polished content. The NFL debut showed that live sports might be its toughest challenge yet.
If Netflix can fix its fumbles, it has the potential to be a major player in sports broadcasting. But for now, they’re still warming up on the sidelines.
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