Netflix Pushes Sports Content As It Reminds Viewers Of Its Athletic Prowess With NBA Opener Teaser

Peter White
·2 min read

Netflix may not be in the live sports business but it certainly wants viewers to know that it’s got some content around the edges.

The streamer has debuted a new teaser that highlights its sporting prowess with shows such as Formula 1: Drive to Survive and its forthcoming documentary on Celtics star Bill Russell: Legend.

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“We got GOATs,” it notes of the trailer. “More of the greatest sports stories are coming to Netflix.”

It has launched the trailer online and will also air it during the season-opening NBA game tonight. The LA Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors, while Philadelphia 76ers take on the Boston Celtics.

Elsewhere, Netflix has a documentary series following the PGA Tour golf and a second season of Last Chance U: Basketball, which launches on December 13, as well as an upcoming docuseries following tennis stars across Grand Slam tournaments from the producers of Formula 1: Drive to Survive.

This is on top of shows already on the platform including The Redeem Team, Untold, Naomo Osaka, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos and Cheer.

Netflix has long been asked whether it would move into live sports as its streaming rivals such as Amazon, which now has Thursday Night Football, and Apple, which has deals for MLB and MLS, have moved into the space.

In April, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed what it would need to make this happen.

“I’m not saying that we’ll never do sports, but we’ll have to see a path to growing a big revenue stream and a great profit stream with it,” he said.

These comments came after his other co-CEO Reed Hastings told German newspaper Der Spiegel that it would consider buying the rights to F1.

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