Ted Sarandos Says Netflix Would Explore Full Season, Big League Sports “If We Could Make The Economics Work”

Core Viewpoint - Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos expressed that while live sports on the platform is beneficial, the economics of full season rights for major leagues remain challenging [1][4]. Group 1: Live Sports Strategy - Netflix has established long-term licensing agreements with WWE and has secured two NFL games on Christmas Day, along with a deal for the 2027 and 2031 Women's World Cup [1]. - Sarandos indicated that the attractiveness of full season rights depends on the pricing, as the costs for sports rights have been increasing significantly due to competition from other streaming services like Apple and Amazon [1][2]. Group 2: Audience Engagement - The wrestling content on Netflix garnered approximately 5 million views in its first week, which is about double the audience of Monday Night Raw on traditional television [4]. - There was a 25% increase in non-live viewing the day after live events, particularly from international markets such as the U.K., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Brazil [4]. Group 3: Economic Considerations - Sarandos emphasized the importance of ensuring that the economics of sports deals work for both Netflix and the leagues, acknowledging the difficulty in making full league, full season economics viable [2][4].