Netflix’s planned tennis exhibition for March headlined by Rafael Nadal vs. Carlos Alcaraz marks the streamer's second live sports broadcast, and at least one analyst called the way the company is going entering the sports landscape “really smart.” The “Netflix Slam” follows the PGA Tour-F1 hybrid “Netflix Cup” event that aired last month, and CNBC’s Melissa Lee said of Netflix, “It seems really smart the way Netflix is going about having live sports. They’re not competing necessarily, they’re not bidding for an event like NFL football. They’re creating their own sports events that nobody else is bidding for.” CNBC’s Tim Seymour noted Netflix has “global subs of 250 million, a dynamic here that gives them a lot of reach and a lot of power at a time when bidding on sports is crazy and people have busted the bundle.” Seymour said subscribers will “pay more for Netflix if they’re getting this kind of sports” (“Fast Money,” CNBC, 12/11). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Joseph Pisani noted Netflix execs have "largely resisted the live-sports trend because of the escalating costs of sports rights." However, the streamer reportedly has "discussions about airing a live boxing match" to go along with the golf and tennis events. Streaming live sports "could bolster Netflix’s new ad business, which has grown slowly" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 12/11).
