Report: Netflix makes sporting debut with star-studded celebrity Golf Tournament featuring F1 Drivers and Pro Golfers

The streaming network Netflix announced that it will soon make its debut in the transmission of live sporting events. It will do so with a golf tournament in which Formula 1 drivers will participate alongside professional golfers.

The event is still in talks, although, according to The Wall Street Journal, it would take place in Las Vegas. The information also states that the competitors would be the participants in the series "Drive to Survive" and "Full Swing", popularized by the platform.

The tournament may feature notable drivers such as Sergio 'Checo' Perez, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo, alongside other talented racers. Similarly, prominent golfers like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas could grace the course.

Netflix, while new to streaming live sporting events, brings extensive expertise in sports programming through the production, realization, and transmission of documentaries.

These include the aforementioned "Drive to Survive" and "Full Swing," but also particularly popular are "The Last Dance," "Icarus," "Screwball," "Last Chance U" and "Cheers."

Its expertise extends to movies and series, for which it has produced hits such as "Ted Lasso", or for which it has acquired streaming rights, such as "Space Jam" and "The Blind Side."

Netflix and sports

Netflix executives have been ambivalent about the platform's relationship with live sports, and it's not a recent development. There have been statements that the platform is not interested in this segment of the market, but there have also been business moves that indicate otherwise.

Company co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in 2022:

“I’m not saying we never would do sports, but we would have to see a path to growing a big revenue stream and a big profit stream with it.”

However, the "path to growing" and the "big profit" may have already been identified. Netflix is known to have recently bid for the streaming rights to Formula 1 for the United States (although it lost out to Disney/ESPN/ABC). They are also known to have bid for certain streaming rights in tennis and cycling events.

Everything seems to indicate that the streaming platform is looking to broaden its business spectrum towards live streaming of events, as it recently produced and aired a Chris Rock comedy special, with good audience response.

It is also known that the platform has the streaming rights to the Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony for 2024.