Netflix isn’t a full-season NFL rights holder, and might never be, but it’s definitely a major player in the league’s media profile.
The streaming giant used its upfront presentation to advertisers Wednesday in New York to detail an expanded, five-game rights agreement with the NFL. The enlarged pact includes:
- Rights to the league’s Week 1 game in Australia between the 49ers and Rams.
- Rights to a newly created Thanksgiving Eve game, a game window developed as the league looks to expand its already record-setting presence across the U.S. holiday. The contest will feature the Packers vs. the Rams.
- Continuation of its Christmas Day doubleheader.
- A Week 18 regular-season game with playoff implications.
- Coverage of the NFL Honors awards show held during Super Bowl week.
The bigger Netflix schedule for the 2026 NFL season is part of an enlarged rights deal for Netflix now extended through the 2029 season. Future years will include a Week 1 game, a Thanksgiving Eve matchup, one Christmas Day game, a Week 18 regular season finale game, and the NFL Honors.
Each of these elements fits squarely within Netflix’s long-held strategy of preferring a select number of big-event sports broadcasts as opposed to larger, full-season rights packages. The games will air globally, tying directly into a core league goal of expanding its reach around the world.
Part of Netflix’s expanded inventory came from reallocating two of four games that the league reacquired in its complex equity deal with ESPN.
Long in Development
Netflix’s new NFL pact isn’t necessarily a surprise, as Netflix said during its most recent quarterly earnings report that it was keenly interested in growing its tie to the NFL. Still, the shift is a material one and is something that has sparked rising scrutiny across many Washington politicians and regulators.
Even before the result of any of the four major political and regulatory efforts surrounding the NFL is known, it’s already helped prompt a material response by the league. Legacy networks CBS, Fox, and NBC each have gained additional broadcast windows with the NFL, and are each part of the unprecedented international slate, too.
The Netflix upfront followed several others this week in New York involving media giants such as NBC, Fox, Amazon, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The full NFL 2026 schedule will be released Thursday night.
