Netflix will stream its first live sporting event: a celebrity golf tournament featuring stars from its array of original programming.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the tournament would take place in Las Vegas, and feature celebrities from its sport-related programs, such as Drive to Survive, the Formula One documentary series, and Full Swing, which followed golfers during the Pro Tour.
This is a rather safe step into the world of live streaming sports, after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said in January the company has not yet worked out a way to bid on the expensive major sporting codes and still turn a profit.
“We aren’t anti-sports, we’re pro-profit,” Sarandos said.
With Netflix putting their hat into the ring, traditional broadcasters will no doubt be getting nervous, especially as the NBA rights are coming up for renewal.
Netflix stepped into the live-streaming arena in March with the live broadcast of a Chris Rock comedy special, but lost juice when a live reunion episode of reality show Love Is Blind was plagued by issues in April.
A celebrity golfing tournament will be a low-risk way to venture into live sports streaming, and iron out the bugs, before Netflix makes its inevitable play for a major sporting code.