Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX)is reported to be in talks to live stream its first sporting event, a celebrity golf tournament, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
The tournament will feature professional golfers from ‘Full Swing,’ which followed professional golfers during the 2022 season, as well as Formula One drivers from the auto-racing docuseries ‘Drive to Survive,’ the report said.
If it goes ahead, it would be Netflix’s first sports livestream.
The WSJ said discussions are in the early stages but if it goes ahead the event is likely to take place in Las Vegas around the time of the Grand Prix in November.
Netflix previously bid for live US streaming rights to Formula 1, but was reported to have lost out to ESPN.
Rival streaming services Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have already added live professional sports competitions to their line-ups, acquiring the rights to major league soccer and the NFL's Thursday night games, respectively, Reuters reported.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has previously said the streamer is not “anti-sports, we’re pro-profit,” and the company hadn’t figured out how to bid for major sports rights profitably.
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