Benzinga - Streaming giant Netflix Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) announced its first partnership this week with the National Football League. Here’s a look at the new content coming to the streaming platform soon.
What Happened: Netflix and the NFL partnered on a new docuseries called “Quarterback” that will feature several quarterbacks from each season. The first season will highlight Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings), Marcus Mariota (Atlanta Falcons) and Super Bowl LVII-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs).
The docuseries will feature behind-the-scenes footage from the 2022 NFL season from its start to end with Mahomes, Cousins and Mariota all mic’d up during each game. The series will also show off-field activities and interactions with the players’ families.
Among the highlights shared by the NFL for the series will be a look at the Vikings completing the biggest comeback in NFL history, Mariota taking over as the starting quarterback for the Falcons and Mahomes winning both the regular season MVP and Super Bowl LVII MVP trophies.
“I’m excited for fans to get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable season for the entire Chiefs organization and for my family,” Mahomes said. “From welcoming home a new baby in the middle of the season to welcoming the Lombardi trophy back to Kansas City, our crew was there for it all.”
Mahomes' newly formed production company 2PM Productions will produce the series alongside Omaha Productions, a company owned by former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning.
“Playing quarterback in the NFL is a unique experience that has some pretty incredible ups and down,” Manning said. “Thanks to this collaboration with our partners at NFL Films, 2PM Productions and Netflix, fans will be given a unique and intimate look at what life is like as a starting QB.”
Netflix said it hopes to provide “unprecedented access to the biggest athletes in the world” with the new docuseries.
The series does not have an official release date, but is scheduled for a summer 2023 release.
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Why It’s Important: Netflix is no stranger to sports docuseries, and the partnership with the NFL could strengthen the push by the streaming giant to pursue live sports.
“Formula 1: Drive to Survive” offered a behind-the-scenes look at the Formula 1 racing league and was said to help boost viewership for the sport around the world, particularly in the U.S. Formula 1 is owned by Liberty Formula One Group (NASDAQ: FWONA) (NASDAQ: FWONK).
Netflix also released “Break Point,” covering the world of tennis, in January 2023, and golf docuseries “Full Swing” in February 2023.
Benzinga reported in April 2022 that Netflix was rumored to be working with the NFL on docuseries and potential rights to NFL games. Netflix was interested in the NFL Sunday Ticket content that was eventually won by Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL).
The NFL was reported to be working on growing its viewership outside of the U.S. with several international games and additional media rights deals for international markets offered. With the docuseries and its massive global reach, Netflix could help boost the awareness of the NFL to non-U.S. countries.
While Formula 1 grew in popularity in the U.S. thanks to Netflix’s docuseries, “Quarterback” could have the same impact on NFL viewership outside of the U.S.
With the win by Alphabet, its YouTube segment could get a boost by providing access to NFL games during the season.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) had the rights to “Thursday Night Football” games during the 2022 NFL season and aggressively bid on the streaming rights for sports.
Streaming rival AppleTV+ from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) landed rights to Major League Soccer (MLS) and select Major League Baseball (MLB) content. The MLS deal kicks off in February and could see Apple become a major player in the live sports streaming space.
Netflix was one of the bidders on the Formula 1 media rights, which were won by Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS) and its ESPN unit. Netflix has also bid on smaller sports content such as tennis and the World Surf League.
The NFL has an existing partnership with Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ: WBD) for “Hard Knocks,” which follows one team during training camp and pre-season and a midseason version of the show that follows a team during the season.
The Takeaway: Netflix ended the recent quarter with 230.75 million paid subscribers. The company is always looking for ways to expand its content. In this case, it could be a win-win for Netflix to show off its sports docuseries dominance as it gets more aggressive in bidding on sports rights and a way for the NFL to reach a larger international audience.
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Photo courtesy of Netflix.
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