Netflix certainly took its time, but the biggest of all streamers is finally jumping into live sports, starting with a celebrity golf tournament.
Slated to take place November 14 at 6 p.m. ET, The Netflix Cup will feature stars from two Netflix sports shows: the ever-popular Formula 1: Drive to Survive, and Full Swing.
Netflix describes the live sports special as a “clash of wheels and irons,” with the celebs grouping in four pairs, each with their own pro golfer, for an “eight-hole match with the top two teams advancing to the final hole, where they will battle for the chance to win the inaugural Netflix Cup title.”
The tournament will be streamed live from the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas, and given that Netflix is calling it an “inaugural event,” it sounds like the streamer is planning for more Netflix Cups assuming the first goes well.
Among the stars you can expect for the first Netflix Cup include Alex Albon (Williams Racing), Pierre Gasly (BWT Alpine F1 Team), Lando Norris (McLaren Racing), and Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Ferrari) from Formula 1: Drive to Survive, along with PGA Tour golfers Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
Netflix has gotten a surprisingly slow start when it comes to live sports compared to its competitors.
Amazon has perhaps the biggest stake in live sports with its massive investment in Thursday Night Football, which has been drawing big crowds on Prime Video. Meanwhile, Apple has its Major Leage Soccer Season Pass and Friday Night Baseball, and Peacock will stream the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris next year.
More recently, Max just made a splash with its Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, a package that includes MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA March Madness, and U.S. Soccer action for an additional $10-a-month fee.
Netflix has a checkered history when it comes to live streaming. The streamer kicked off its live streaming efforts with Chris Rock’s Selective Outrage comedy special back in March (where Rock finally spoke out about the infamous Will Smith slap), and it went more or less without a hitch.
A month later, however, Netflix fumbled its Love is Blind live reunion due to a technical glitch, leaving fans of the reality show in the lurch. Netflix eventually aired a pre-recorded version of the special.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.