Netflix is reportedly in discussions to live-stream its inaugural sporting event, featuring a celebrity golf tournament with professional golfers and Formula One drivers.
The streaming giant is in the early stages of talks regarding the golf tournaments, set to take place in Las Vegas and featuring celebrities from a popular docuseries, Drive to Survive, which revolves around Formula One racing, as well as Full Swing, a series that followed professional golfers during the 2022 season.
If the plans materialise, this would mark Netflix’s first venture into live-streaming sports, an idea that the company’s executives have debated for a year. However, discussions regarding the tournament are still in the early phases.
While other major streaming companies have been acquiring rights for prominent sports events to attract new subscribers and bolster advertising sales, Netflix has focused mainly on documentary programming. Their Formula One series, Drive to Survive, has significantly raised the profile of the global racing league since its debut in 2019.
By hosting the golf tournament, Netflix aims to offer live sports content to its viewers without incurring the costs associated with major-league sports packages. The company has previously bid for the live streaming rights to Formula One but lost to ESPN, which secured a three-year deal.
Netflix’s foray into live-streaming extends beyond sports, as it has experimented with streaming other types of entertainment events with mixed results. While a live comedy special featuring Chris Rock went smoothly, a live stream of a Love is Blind reunion episode faced technical difficulties.
If all goes smoothly, this move will pave the way for other streaming platforms to opt for the live-streaming, thereby increasing their reach and revenue.
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