Netflix just got on the map for sportscasting by attaining the rights to the Christmas games this NFL season. A Christmas game is already a big deal, but the whole new experience of watching it on Netflix is even bigger. But the streaming giant’s strategy to attract more eyes from sports fans seems to be a 360-degree one.
Along with bagging the rights to the much-coveted games on the biggest holiday of the year, they have started working on a 10-part docuseries on none other than America’s Team. And not to be too on the nose, but it will be named as such as well.
America’s Team will be a 10-part docuseries going through the transformational journey the Cowboys have been on under owner Jerry Jones. Albeit recent criticism, in the large scheme of events, Jones has come out as one of the most notable figures of the league. His word is taken seriously, and the status of the Cowboys, irrespective of their ranking in the league, remains at the top of the league hierarchy.
Some teams gain a voice or lose one, as per the whims of the winning column. But not the Cowboys. Without having won anything substantial in two decades, they continue to be the most valuable sports franchise in the world—not just in the league, but in the entire world. Thus, bagging the rights to a documentary about them adds to the allure of their offerings.
Netflix will get to rope in fans of legends like Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, Jimmy Johnson, and Emmit Smith. According to IMDB reports, those who have watched the series have compared it to ‘The Last Dance’.
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Peyton Manning and the ‘Quarterback’ series opened the gates to a lot of projects for both Omaha Productions and Netflix. The MVP of the league, Patrick Mahomes, letting a camera follow him around and still win the Super Bowl was surreal to watch.
And thus, the league is planning an all-out approach to bring more sports fans to its platform. According to their official blog, “Tudum”, the streaming giant has been looking into this for a couple of years. After the success of ‘Quarterback’, Netflix will be releasing ‘Receivers’ in the summer. Followed by the Christmas games, and hopefully the Cowboys series will come out by the end of the season, or even during the season.
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer threw more light on the reason behind this approach, noting: “There are no live annual events, sports or otherwise, that compare with the audiences NFL football attracts. We’re so excited that the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be only on Netflix.”
Since the Cowboys are not playing in the Christmas games, they have found another way to make themselves relevant on the platform that the NFL is also flocking towards. It is a strategy that helps everyone win.