The recent surge in sporting events being exclusive to streaming services has led to many questions about the ability of bars and restaurants to carry such games.
But while most establishments seem to have found ways to carry those games — albeit often at a hefty price — it doesn’t appear that will be the case for Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL doubleheader.
In his latest newsletter for CNBC, Alex Sherman revealed that DirectTV has opted against paying the six-figure licensing fee to distribute the doubleheader featuring the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans. As a result, the only option bars and restaurants have to carry the Netflix doubleheader is to subscribe to EverPass, which announced a deal to distribute the doubleheader to bars, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial establishments nationwide last month.
“DirecTV chose not to pay the six-figure licensing fee, figuring the audience for people hitting the bar and watching football on Christmas day would be minimal, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private,” Sherman writes. “It’s also a blow to casinos and hotels, which will need to pay extra to offer the games to their customers and guests.”
As Sherman notes, DirectTV’s decision to carry the games isn’t without risk. If a bar, restaurant, hotel, casino or sportsbook wants to carry the high-profile games, they’ll now have to subscribe to a competitor in EverPass, which also offers distribution for the NFL Sunday Ticket, Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime and Peacock sporting events.
And if those establishments enjoy their experience with EverPass, it’s reasonable to think at least some might turn to the NFL/RedBird joint venture for their distribution needs moving forward.
According to Sherman, DirectTV’s decision not to distribute the doubleheader has come as a surprise to many establishments, which will now have to determine whether the Christmas Day demand will necessitate an EverPass subscription. DirectTV appears to be banking on the answer to that question predominantly being “no,” but we’ll soon find out whether that proves to be a miscalculation.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.