As Netflix has dipped its toes into live programming over the past several years, it has established a niche as the destination for big events, from comedy specials to late-night shows to NFL games and big fights. And while the streamer’s hiring of ESPN host Elle Duncan was seen as a sign of growing ambitions in the live sports space, Duncan doesn’t expect the approach to change.
Duncan will anchor MLB Opening Day coverage for Netflix on Wednesday, and she expects these one-off live events to remain the norm going forward.
In an interview with Front Office Sports on Tuesday, Duncan rebutted the idea that Netflix is seeking to “dominate” sports broadcasting the way it has attempted to dominate in comedy or reality TV.
“The goal is not domination. The goal is not, like, how many content hours can we fill with sports?” Duncan explained.
“The goal for Netflix, completely, solely, and honestly cold-heartedly, it’s, what is a major spectacle, whether that’s sports or other, that is going to grab the attention of our viewers on a global scale? Because that’s the thing that I keep having to remind myself, too. This is not a domestic streaming network. This is a global network. They’re in over 140 countries.”
Duncan noted that audiences should think of Netflix’s approach to sports as cohesive to its overall content strategy. This was especially visible during NFL Christmas GameDay last year, when the company went all-out with in-stadium activations and promotions for upcoming releases.
“So they’re always sort of thinking, ‘What is driving our customer, what is going to keep their attention, what’s going to draw ratings?’ And that’s all they’re interested in doing, is really large spectacles that feel like Netflix,” she said.
“Are they a standalone? The Opening Day game is going to be the only game in all of baseball on that particular day. So how are they differentiating themselves? I really don’t think that their main concern is how of much sports we can dominate, so much as what in sports can sort of dominate and really be a great link and connection to what we’re already doing?”
Duncan said she will work the Fury vs. Makhmudov boxing card on April 11 and then turn her attention to the MLB Home Run Derby in July, a signal that she is not expecting a spending spree for Netflix to book hours of sports coverage simply because it hired her.
Multiple Netflix executives have cautioned in recent months that the streamer remains uninterested in pursuing season-long sports rights packages. Airing two NFL Christmas games (or a five-game package in the next round) is more in line with the current strategy. However, it has expanded its plans to cover international competitions, such as the World Baseball Classic and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
As talent, Duncan feels quite a contrast from her time at ESPN. She said the mentality working at ESPN is to be on as many shows as possible to contribute to the network’s 24/7 content output.
At Netflix, she is getting in on the ground floor of the sports vertical and has a hand in shaping its identity, just as much as she does in being its face.
“There were times at ESPN where I felt a little bit like ‘survive and advance’ … I just gotta get through the next thing,” Duncan said.
“I think the difference with Netflix is there’s a little bit of building the plane while we’re flying. And that can be scary, but also so exciting for someone like me who really always wanted to be a part of something that was building from the ground up. But then you have, of course, the idea that it’s Netflix. So it’s not exactly a start-up, but they do have a start-up mentality in the sports space.”