Imagine waking up at 3 a.m. sharp on a Sunday to watch the Australian Open finals January 28, only to find that the match was not airing on live television channels such as the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN). Instead, the competition between tennis stars Mr. Jannik Sinner and Mr. Daniil Medvedev streamed solely on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime and ESPN+. Over the past few years, it has become increasingly common for streaming services to purchase exclusive screening rights to live sporting events, rendering them unviewable on cable television. This reorientation of competitions for the electronic age within the sports broadcasting medium will revolutionize how viewers watch and enjoy athletic events.
Since 2018, the amount of revenue that video streaming generates annually more than tripled, rising from approximately 35 billion dollars to 109 billion dollars, according to statista.com. As a result of this online media dominance, traditional television watching has reached a slow decline, with many cable channels losing millions of video subscribers each quarter. Currently, sports broadcasting seems to be a strong factor in keeping cable alive, with 72 percent of television consumers describing themselves as sports fans, according to restream.io. However, streaming services are beginning to expand to that medium too. As of October 17, 2023, Tennis Channel’s free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel is available to watch on Amazon Freevee and Fubo, two cable-replacement platforms, according to tennis.com.
Streaming companies are not only accruing digital rights but also starting to sponsor their own live sporting competitions. In particular, this past Sunday, March 3, Mr. Rafael Nadal and Mr. Carlos Alcaraz faced off in what the titular streaming company dubbed “The Netflix Slam.” These two Spanish tennis phenoms, the former a tennis veteran and the latter the current second-best player in the world, competed in a best-of-three-set match-up in which Mr. Alcaraz emerged victorious over two and a half hours after a tiebreak which he won 14 to 12.
The game captivated the attention of 9,489 live viewers including numerous celebrities such as Mr. Michael Douglas and Ms. Catherine Zeta-Jones, according to skysports.com. This game marked a major step towards the encroaching tennis season, but more so the future of sports as a whole. Due to its success, other streaming services will likely follow suit by creating their own versions of tournaments that attract viewers with their spectacle. Netflix plays into drama and fanfare to capitalize on its audience’s interests. This technique could revolutionize the future of athletic broadcasting.
The Netflix Slam was the second in a series of increasingly large sporting events that the television giant has hosted. The first, which the company anointed “The Netflix Cup,” was a pairs golfing competition that took place November 14, 2023, between Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour professionals and their Formula 1 (F1) driver partners. This event recognized the success of the Netflix sports series on both championships, Full Swing and Drive to Survive, respectively.
Such reality television shows highlight behind-the-scenes information about their respective sports to promote engagement with a larger commercial audience. Notably, due to the rise of Drive to Survive, F1 viewership has increased by nearly 100 percent over the past six years, according to espnpressroom.com.
The Netflix Cup was a massive commercial success. Marquis drivers and golfers united to put on a show for live and online viewers alike at the Wynn Country Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was a part of the lead-up to the return of the Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 race last September. However, the tournament was more significant than solely its part in that race weekend. The streaming service used modern television techniques to entertain viewers and make the competition more appealing to a wider audience. Unlike traditional golf tournaments, which mainly focus on a quiet, elegant presentation, the Netflix Cup had a slew of comedians, special effects, and meta references to sensationalize their event. While the Netflix Cup was not a conventional sporting event, this did not matter to fans and participants who enjoyed the fun atmosphere of the day.
Golfers and drivers alike lauded the event for its innovative and eye-catching techniques. PGA professional Mr. Tony Finau praised the event for its ability to draw attention to both sports while maintaining a positive environment. He commented on the impact of Netflix on viewership levels for the PGA Tour and F1.
“For Netflix fans and everyone watching, I think it’s a cool opportunity for them to see the drivers and the golfers collide, and obviously it’s something we love to do, but also something the drivers love to do,” Mr. Finau said, according to forbes.com. “I think the crossover hopefully is that a lot of the F1 fans respect golf and maybe we start to get more of an F1 following from this just because their favorite drivers love golf and play golf. I know Drive to Survive was amazing for F1 and I think Full Swing has been great for us as well and hopefully, this just continues to piggyback on the game of golf moving forward.”
This past weekend’s Netflix Slam followed its predecessor’s suit in terms of its celebrity commentary and visual effects. Notably, the event hosted three former men’s tennis world number-ones, Mr. Andre Agassi, Mr. Jim Courier, and Mr. Andy Roddick, all of whom provided in-depth analyses of the intense action between the contesting tennis stars. On top of the play-by-play, Netflix ensured that their viewers received thorough celebrity critique by interviewing many famous audience members. Often, these interviews encroached on the play itself, revealing the priority of viewer entertainment within this Las Vegas spectacle.
Mr. Gabe Spitzer, vice president of non-fiction sports at Netflix, played a large role in bringing both the Netflix Slam and the Netflix Cup to life. In his role, Mr. Spitzer works to review live sporting projects alongside athletic documentaries to grow Netflix’s content in the field, according to variety.com. He commented on the growing effort of the streaming giant to capture live athletic events as part of its work in the sporting field.
“Look at a traditional sports network that has a ton of live games, and maybe they’ll put on a documentary after and hope people watch it,” Mr. Spitzer said, according to variety.com. “This is almost the inverse. We’ve built some great momentum and great viewership for our sports documentaries and [live] is an extension of that.”
Mr. Spitzer revealed his perspective concerning the development of other live projects following in the footsteps of the Netflix Cup and the Netflix Slam. He commented on the production timeline for these athletic broadcasts.
“We’re flexible,” Mr. Spitzer said, according to variety.com. “If we found out there was a great live production happening next month, we can figure it out. If it’s nine months from now, obviously, you have more time and you can hopefully make it slightly better. Knowing that we have this capability at Netflix allows us to do that.”
Featured Image by Lindsay Taylor ’24
