Picture: Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson (left), John Cena on RAW (centre) and Beyoncé peforming at the Texans vs. Chiefs NFL Christmas Game Day (right)
Over the past couple of years, Netflix has been ramping up its output of live content, and so far, we’ve seen the likes of the WWE, NFL, and Professional Boxing live on the platform. But the sky is the limit with live content on Netflix, and what could that look like in the near future? Let’s speculate.
With a subscriber base exceeding 300 million, it was only a matter of time before the world’s biggest streaming service would eventually dip its toes into the world of live-streaming. So far, it’s been relatively successful, with tens of millions tuning in to watch events such as Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul and the NFL Christmas Game Day.
While the start of Netflix’s live-stream journey was super clunky with the Netflix Cup and the Netflix Slam, it has improved drastically in a relatively short period of time, so much so, there is relatively little worry now loading up a Netflix live-stream.
But this begs the question: with Netflix now more than capable of handling live-streams for some truly huge events, what does the future of live-streaming look like next?
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Further Expansion into Sport
With the sheer volume of sports available worldwide, there’s no limit to what Netflix can stream live. However, that doesn’t mean we should expect Netflix to stream the polo equivalent of the FIFA World Cup or extreme frisbee. So far on its live-content journey, Netflix has associated itself with giant brands like WWE, the NFL, World Baseball Classic, and household boxing names such as Mike Tyson, Katie Taylor, and Terence Crawford. That is a trend we expect to continue as Netflix expands its line-up of sports content.
Picture: Raw (left) and NFL Christmas Gameday Chiefs vs Steelers (right) were streamed live on Netflix
As the world’s largest live-streaming service, with over 300 million monthly subscribers, Netflix offers numerous opportunities for sporting promotions due to its extensive global reach. However, we aren’t expecting Netflix to be streaming games weekly from the NFL (American Football), NBA (Basketball), NHL (Ice Hockey), or MLB (Baseball) anytime soon. Still, it’s possible in the future, especially outside the United States.
Picture: Shotei Ohtani at the 2023 World Baseball Classic
It’s likely that Netflix will negotiate deals in the near future to distribute sports to its global audience. This can be achieved by finding gaps in the market, such as streaming NFL games on Christmas Day, which was watched for a combined 27.7 million views between both games.
How about European Soccer?
It’s a turbulent time for soccer leagues in Europe, which are struggling to compete with the financial might of the English Premier League. So much in fact, that controversially, teams from Spain’s La Liga are looking for league fixtures to take place outside of Spain for the first time in its history, much like how the NFL has moved several games in its calendar to countries such as Brazil, England, Germany, and Spain.
Netflix would be the perfect service for one of these European sporting giants, such as Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, and France’s Ligue 1, to call home. While a rights deal would still not be on the same level as what the Premier League is able to negotiate, if Netflix became the global streaming home for the likes of La Liga, Ligue 1, or Serie A, it would be monumental for the sport.
Picture: Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay of Serie A’s Napoli
Live Music Events
Netflix is no stranger to concerts. Plenty of concerts are available to stream on Netflix, including performances by Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Timberlake, Shawn Mendes, Bruce Springsteen, and several J-pop artists. However, the closest we’ve come to a live concert event on Netflix was Beyoncé’s halftime performance during the Ravens vs. Texans on Christmas Day.
Picture: Beyoncé performing at the Texans vs. Ravens halftime show on Christmas Day, 2025.
Over the past decade, the popularity of artists from Korea and Japan has skyrocketed. With Netflix expanding into more live content, fans who cannot see their favorite artists in person would have the perfect opportunity to watch live performances on Netflix.
Using K-pop as an example again, and in particular, BTS, a live concert on Netflix for the Korean idol group would be ginormous, and millions of fans worldwide would stream the event.
BTS is still one of the most popular K-pop groups, and we could only imagine the excitement it would generate if Netflix were to announce a live concert. This could also expand to American artists, such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Chappell Roan, and more.
Picture: BTS performing at Newark’s Prudential Center in New Jersey in 2018 – Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Live Theatre?
This may be sacrilegious to some, but live-streaming performances from the West End of Broadway would be a phenomenal addition to Netflix’s lineup of live-stream content. Of course, there would be some worry and push back from theatres and production companies who are heavily reliant on bums in seats, but for many who will never get the opportunity to go to New York or London to watch the very best of what the theatres offer, it offers fans to watch these incredible performances from hit musicals, to ballet, opera, and plays.
For Stranger Things fans, it must be quite frustrating that Stranger Things: The First Shadow is only available to watch in the theatre on Broadway and the West End, and no recorded footage of the play is available to stream on Netflix. In the near future, when Stranger Things: The First Shadow production wraps up, Netflix will have the perfect opportunity to capture the final performance live, making it available on the streaming service for audiences to watch.
The release of Hamilton on Disney+ was genius, and to this day, it remains one of the most-watched titles on that particular platform. Although Hamilton was never broadcast live on Disney+, as it was pre-recorded in June 2016, the point remains that a recording of a theatre production can be wildly popular, and Netflix should consider trialing something similar in the near future.
Stranger Things The First Shadow What Will Netflix Live Content Look In The Future
How will this impact the price of your subscription?
At the time of writing, every single live event on Netflix has been part of your ongoing subscription to the streaming service. It’s important for Netflix to maintain this approach and not move to a PPV model for the more lucrative events, such as boxing or live concerts.
Any future price increases will likely incorporate Netflix’s growing investment in live content; however, it won’t be the core reason behind a price increase, as further investment in its line-up of movies and TV shows is more likely to contribute to that cost.
What live content would you like to see on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!