Netflix eyes “unmissable” live moments as it weighs NFL packages and ingestion deals

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said the streamer’s live sports strategy centers on creating appointment-style “events” built around cultural moments. She also indicated Netflix could be open to ingesting live content from other media companies, while rejecting any shift away from TV series and films to compete with short-form video.

Defining “event” for Netflix live sports

Bajaria described an event as “buzzy, cultural, zeitgeist” and “unmissable,” designed for appointment TV with broad conversation afterward. Speaking from Melbourne, Australia, where Netflix held the first-ever regular-season NFL game in the country, she framed live sports as moments that can carry discussion beyond the broadcast.

Netflix owned the global rights to that game, which ended with the San Francisco 49ers beating the Los Angeles Rams 27-7.

NFL rights: possible international package if it becomes available

Asked whether NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” would qualify as a Netflix event, Bajaria pointed to Netflix’s own approach, including Christmas Day programming and other one-off global spectacles. She suggested a large package of international NFL games may not fit Netflix’s event model.

Bajaria said Netflix would consider a package of international NFL games if it becomes available when the league renegotiates its media rights. The NFL can potentially rework its game packages beginning after the 2029-30 season, when it has an opt-out clause on its current deal, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s comments to CNBC.

Netflix is airing five NFL games during the 2026-27 season: last week’s Australia game, the first-ever Thanksgiving Eve game, two Christmas Day games, and a Week 18 game guaranteed to be of significance, either for a playoff spot or seeding. Bajaria noted there are nine international games this year and 10 scheduled for next season, but the NFL does not currently sell an international game package.

FIFA Men’s World Cup interest for 2030 and 2034

Bajaria confirmed Netflix’s interest in bidding on the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2030 and 2034. Netflix already holds the Women’s World Cup U.S. and Canadian rights for 2027 and 2031.

She said Netflix has a “great partnership and relationship with FIFA” and will continue discussions.

Ingesting live content from other streamers, without changing the core strategy

Bajaria suggested Netflix could pursue ingestion-style arrangements similar to YouTube’s plan to ingest content from NBCUniversal’s Peacock into its Premium subscription platform. She called Netflix’s existing partnership with France’s TF1 Group a “test” for embedding live content from other media companies.

She also cited NBCUniversal as a practical example, noting NBCUniversal’s existing relationship with Netflix through feature film licensing and NBC Sports live sports on Netflix, including the Australia NFL game.

Bajaria said Netflix has no plans to rewrite its overall strategy to compete with YouTube. She pointed to Nielsen data showing YouTube’s streaming viewership share at 14.2% for July, compared with Netflix at 7.8%, and said Netflix will continue investing in film and TV rather than shifting toward short-form video.

Why it matters

Netflix is laying out how it will define and acquire live sports moments, while exploring new distribution mechanics through ingestion. Its stance on the NFL, plus potential World Cup bidding and partnerships with other broadcasters, will shape how Netflix competes for sports audiences without abandoning its core entertainment model.