NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
After the National Football League announced its inaugural game on Thanksgiving Eve, one U.S. senator was not satisfied.
The Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams will meet in Inglewood, California, on Thanksgiving Eve, and the game will stream exclusively on Netflix.
That, of course, requires a paid subscription, which is unacceptable to Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Netflix and NFL signs advertise the two major Christmas Day NFL games broadcast live on Netflix in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 1, 2024. (Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
Baldwin last month introduced a bill that would offer fans free live streams of their home state’s professional sports teams. Shortly after the NFL announcement, she broke them up.
“As the cost of almost everything continues to rise, the NFL is once again asking Wisconsinites to spend their hard-earned money on another streaming service. Enough is enough,” Baldwin said in a statement. “My For Fans Act would stop this exact scenario and prevent Wisconsin families from being forced to pay for Netflix just to watch the Packers play this Thanksgiving.”
Games played on other streaming sites, or even the NFL Network, have been made available to fans on local television, but Netflix remains an exception.
Senator Tammy Baldwin was re-elected in Wisconsin, as the state also voted for Donald Trump in the presidential election. (Tammy Baldwin/Reuters)
NFL ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL THANKSGIVING GAME BETWEEN PACKERS AND RAMS WILL STREAM ON NETFLIX
A few years ago, the NFL realized that Black Friday could be an option for fans to gather around their televisions, and found another one, since hometown bars would be packed the night before the big holiday.
The NFL has he stuck his toe in on vacationalso becoming the new king of Christmas.
Netflix owns the rights to five NFL games in 2026, including the league’s first game in Australia. The streaming service will have five regular season games, as well as the NFL Honors, through 2029. It had been streaming two games on Christmas Day since 2024.
While Netflix’s push into live sports has drawn some criticism, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the strategy is not aimed at securing full-season rights packages for any sports league.
“We are not bidding on the entire sports season, including the NFL,” Sarandos told FOX Business Network. “Mornings with Maria” on Tuesday. So far, Sarandos’ comments have held true, as Netflix has prioritized marquee events, including Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and the New York Yankees’ shutout of the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day.
Teams line up at the line of scrimmage during the NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on October 6, 2024. (Jevone Moore/Sportswire Icon)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pak Gazette APP
However, federal scrutiny over the fragmentation of sports has brought the issue of live sports on streaming services to the forefront.
