Netflix just ushered in the future by passing its big Christmas test

Criticism of sports media tends to be overly negative, due in large part to the reward structure that exists when someone genuinely wants to step away and let a broadcaster or live rights partner run the business. That’s why it’s so remarkable that on the day Netflix came under intense scrutiny for broadcasting its first-ever NFL games, the only criticism it appeared to be was that the scorebug was slightly off-center. These are of course very small potatoes and a wonderful result for the streaming service, which mastered the talk task with flying colors to announce its full entry into the live sports game with a thunderous statement.

There were no disruptions or delays. There was no friction between the booth and studio teams, which were assembled piece by piece from other networks. Everything that could have gone wrong didn’t – except for the fact that the Houston Texans didn’t show up for the nightcap and the crowd left the stadium too early.

Netflix not only passed its biggest test, but passed it with flying colors. And most likely, it has raised the curtain on a new era of NFL presentation – one where they may see a day second only to the Super Bowl in terms of attention and cultural capital.

Because the Netflix Christmas games felt like the Super Bowl. Especially when Beyoncé performed her halftime show. Perhaps the assumption that December 25th will replace Thanksgiving Day as the holiday most associated with NFL football is a snapshot. But it really felt like that’s exactly what Netflix was trying to do. If so, then it was a brilliant game plan with effective messages to both the spectators and the league.

Viewers now know with certainty that they can expect a world-class presentation. Netflix felt polished, like they’d all done this before. The whole day was elegant and clean, meeting the standards you would expect from a showcase of this magnitude. The public is now reassured that watching the games will be easy and there will be no streaming interruptions following the notable problems with their last major live sporting effort: Tyson vs. Paul. The advertising load felt very much like watching a linear television show. In short, watching football on Netflix felt completely normal. Like it was something we could have done for years. That it was the same as watching football on TV.

They’ve also proven to the NFL that they can quickly assemble announcing teams, pregame shows and studio hosts that are as worthy as the product. They’ve proven that these are gigs that even the biggest names are interested in and that they’re willing to experiment with new things.

Content consistency with other rights holders was the benchmark because Netflix, perhaps even more than Amazon, places great emphasis on delivery. The appeal of a truly international audience, which will be explored further when the streamer begins its WWE era next month, could prove game-changing.

At the very least, it’s worth appreciating how far streamers have come with the NFL in just a few years. Nobody thinks about it Football on Thursday evenings like none other than the late Sunday window. There’s no reason why Christmas can’t become the new Thanksgiving for Netflix, the second-biggest football event of the season. There’s no reason why they can’t continue to get celebrities in front of the camera and at halftime to make it a true monoculture event. And any hesitation the league might have about giving a streamer a Super Bowl is fading by the day.

Of course, this is all a look into the future. But the NFL on Netflix had no history before yesterday. And it’s there and definitely looks good.