Netflix doesn’t stop and, despite the technical problems that plagued the livestream of the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, it doubles its bets on live sporting events. The streaming platform has in fact announced the exclusive broadcast of two NFL games on Christmas Day, with an exceptional guest for the halftime show: Beyoncé. The Tyson-Paul fight, while plagued by glitches and buffering that infuriated many users, still attracted an audience of more than 60 million viewers, demonstrating the enormous potential of live streaming for high-profile sporting events. Strengthened by this success, albeit partial, Netflix now aims to consolidate its presence in the world of sport with Christmas programming dedicated to the NFL.
On December 25th, Netflix subscribers will be able to watch two live games: the first, with kick-off at 1.30pm, will see the Denver Broncos and the Las Vegas Raiders compete. But it is the second game, starting at 4.30pm, that attracts attention: Houston Texans against Baltimore Ravens, with Beyoncé the absolute protagonist of the halftime show. The choice to focus on a pop icon like Beyoncé for halftime of the match confirms Netflix’s strategy of attracting a huge audience, going beyond the niche of American football fans. The objective is clear: to transform the streaming platform into a privileged destination for 360-degree entertainment, from sport to music, through cinema and TV series.
