• Loading stock data...
Friday, April 11, 2025
Nominations Are Open for Front Office Sports Honors! Submit Now

Netflix Tackles Buffering Woes Just in Time for NFL, WWE Debuts

Scrutiny on Netflix has heightened since last month’s high-profile boxing event. But the company’s confidence is still high—as is its stock price. 

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Netflix believes it has wrestled down its buffering issues—just in time for not only Christmas Day NFL games but the Jan. 6 start of its live coverage of World Wrestling Entertainment’s Raw.

The streaming giant and the TKO Group Holdings–owned WWE are starting to trumpet the onset of its 10-year rights deal, which is estimated at more than $5 billion. Coverage of the pro wrestling property’s flagship weekly show will immediately become a key tentpole for Netflix, which says it has addressed its large-scale performance problems from last month.

Scrutiny on Netflix has heightened in recent weeks as its coverage of the Nov. 15 Jake Paul–Mike Tyson boxing match suffered from widespread outages. The NFL is still standing behind the company, which reported an average global live audience of 108 million viewers for the fight—though those numbers were not tabulated or audited by a highly established, third-party measurement agency. 

“It was a big number, but you don’t know, and you can’t learn these things until you do them, so you take a big swing,” said Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, of the Paul-Tyson event. “Our teams and our engineers are amazing, moved super quickly, and stabilized it, and many of the members had it back up and running pretty quickly. But we learn from these things. We’ve all obviously done a lot of stuff to learn and get ready for the NFL and Beyoncé [on Christmas], and so we’re totally ready and excited for WWE.”

WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque also conveyed calm about any possible streaming issues. 

“I’ll just say if it blinks a couple of times and we do 60 million [households], I’m good with that,” he joked. 

Though Raw is moving to a streaming platform, WWE insists the program will not become more adult-oriented in its tone and content—a critical element as Netflix markets it to advertisers.

“There’s some online chatter about, ‘oh, it’s going to be R-rated, or for us old folks, X-rated.’ That’s definitely not happening,” said WWE president Nick Khan. “It’s family-friendly, multi-generational, advertiser-friendly programming. It’s going to stay that way. I would look for more global flair, especially as the relationship continues to develop.”

Runaway Stock

While the debate continues on both Netflix’s technical competence and metrics, the company’s stock is extending its run as one of the most remarkable stories in all of U.S. business in 2024. Shares in Netflix have soared by 96% this year, and by more than 20% just in the last month, closing Thursday at another company high of nearly $918 each. 

The ongoing exuberance from investors owes heavily to Netflix’s standing as by far the world’s largest streaming service, with 282.7 million subscribers as of the end of its last fiscal quarter, and plenty of room for future growth with the accelerating development of its still-nascent advertising business.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Charlotte Jones
exclusive

Cowboys Scion Charlotte Jones Backing NFL Flag Football Bid

The Cowboys co-owner is backing a Dallas flag football group.
Apr 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) goes to the basket against the Phoenix Suns during the first quarter at TD Garden.

Why Sports Dealmaking Is Defying the M&A Slump

Private capital, media rights, and fan loyalty make sports a safe harbor.

More Than 2,000 Men’s Basketball Players Have Entered Transfer Portal

Players in the portal can return to their original schools.

Denver’s $200M NWSL Stadium Plan Hits Roadblock Over Funding

City council members question the proposed use of public funds.

Featured Today

The pin flag on the second green flaps in the wind during the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Inside The Masters: Traditions, Restrictions, and Gnomes

How the most exclusive major employs its own strict rules and operations.
Mar 16, 2023; Sacramento, CA, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Kobe Brown (24) reacts after scoring a basket agianst the Utah State Aggies during the second half at Golden 1 Center.
exclusive
April 6, 2025

‘It’s On Principle’: NBA Players On Filing for House Settlement Checks

The checks are relatively small. That’s not the point, players say.
Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) before playing against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center.
April 5, 2025

As College Basketball Teams Got Older, Duke Embraced the Fountain of Youth

How the Blue Devils went old-school in the transfer portal era.
Mar 1, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) and center Olivier Rioux (32) and guard Alijah Martin (15) and forward Thomas Haugh (10) huddle after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center
April 4, 2025

How Florida Built a Final Four Roster With ‘Under-Recruited’ Players

“We’ve never gotten a single player because we’re the highest bidder.”

NFL Schedule Set to Drop in May—With Major Changes in Store

Several additional factors are going into this year’s game slate.
April 8, 2025

College Volleyball’s Audience Is Spiking—and Networks Are Noticing

Women’s college volleyball is booming as networks and fans embrace the sport.
Apr 8, 2025; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Scottie Scheffler hit on no. 7 during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
April 9, 2025

Can Masters TV Ratings Rebound From Big Drop Last Year?

Viewership for the final round was down 20% in 2024.
Sponsored

League One Volleyball’s Defining Moment: A Championship Years in the Making

Volleyball has long thrived at the youth level—now it’s transforming professionally. The LOVB Finals mark a pivotal moment for the sport.
Monica McNutt
April 8, 2025

Monica McNutt Reflects on Viral Stephen A. Smith Exchange 10 Months Later

“This is layered for me,” McNutt said at the FOS event in Tampa.
April 6, 2025

Auriemma and Staley: Women’s Hoops Should Have Its Own TV Deal

The current TV deal is tied with 39 other NCAA championships.
Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; Connecticut Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and forward Sarah Strong (21) react on the bench during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against the UCLA Bruins at Amalie Arena.
April 5, 2025

Women’s Final Four Delivers Nearly 4M Viewers, Still 64% Drop

Both of this year’s games were blowouts, which didn’t help returns.
hard-knocks-2020
April 3, 2025

NFL Expands ‘Hard Knocks’ Pool of Teams: Who’s Eligible for 2025?

The NFL is relaxing rules surrounding its reality TV show.