Netflix CCO Bela Bajaria outlines live event strategy with focus on global sports
Bela Bajaria, Netflix's Chief Content Officer, outlined the company’s approach to live events and sports content during an interview with CNBC Sport. She emphasized that Netflix seeks “unmissable” moments—cultural or zeitgeist-driven—that generate significant viewer engagement and conversation. This strategy includes hosting unique international games like the first-ever regular-season NFL match in Australia. Bajaria also mentioned potential interest in bidding for FIFA Men's World Cup rights in 2030 and 2034, building on Netflix’s existing Women's World Cup coverage in North America starting from 2027. She noted that while a large package of NFL games may not align with the event-driven model, an international game bundle could be appealing if made available during future media rights renegotiations after the 2029-30 season. The company is currently broadcasting five NFL games in the upcoming 2026–27 season and remains open to partnerships or ingestion deals with other streamers. Bajaria also addressed YouTube as a potential competitor but did not elaborate further on specific strategies for countering it.
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Topics: content acquisition live events strategy Netflix NFL rights