The Netflix Playbook: Transforming Live Sports 🎲
Messi vs Ronaldo is back and France is trying to steal FIFA.
Welcome to Athletic Interest,
Netflix wants you to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal in Las Vegas.Â
No, that’s not the plot of the next Hangover movie. Instead, Netflix is hosting a special live tennis event starring Alcaraz and Nadal.Â
This is Netflix’s second attempt at a live sports event after the Netflix Cup Golf event that saw F1 drivers and pro-golfers face off. The event had a mixed reaction, with Forbes calling it a ‘perfect crossover’ and others noting several production errors and branding it chaotic.
That being said, Netflix clearly sees promise in its new strategy of curating special live sports events that crossover with its existing documentaries. The golf event had stars from Drive to Survive and Full Swing, while both Nadal and Alcaraz appeared briefly in Break Point.Â
But why is Netflix taking this approach instead of going after the NFL or Premier League?Â
First off, a tie in with an existing documentary means a more engaged audience from the start. Making it a special crossover event helps to pull in different sports fans and allows you to play on the uniqueness to generate a bigger buzz.
Perhaps Netflix also feels that the traditional live sports model, where you watch several games across a season, is losing out to the influencer led entertainment events. Think of how KSI’s Misfits boxing is shaking up professional fighting with YouTuber fights and Gerard Piqué is disrupting football with his wacky Kings League that is streamed via Twitch.Â
Moreover, the traditional sports rights are incredibly expensive. Netflix would need to spend billions across several years to lure the Premier League, and that’s before it invests in the infrastructure to stream multiple live events each week.
Netflix is taking it slow and flirting with live sport to see where it fits in the bigger picture.
Netflix has a documentary series about sprinting scheduled for 2024, perhaps that is an area where the streaming giant will look going forward? Anyone for watching random celebrities do the 100m against Usain Bolt?
Inter Miami Set to Win Big with Saudi Arabian Tour 🇸🇦
Messi vs Ronaldo. That debate has dominated football discussions for over a decade.Â
If you look at their head to head stats from previous meetings, there isn’t much to separate them.
With Ronaldo now in Saudi Arabia, and Messi in Miami, it looked like the contest was over. Luckily, we will get one final clash between these two titans.Â
Inter Miami has just announced a tour of Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong that will see the MLS side face Al-Hilal on January 29th and Ronaldo’s Al Nassr on February 1st.Â
Messi vs Ronaldo is a guaranteed blockbuster event that will draw fans from across the globe both in the stadium and through the media. Ticket sales from the tour are expected to generate at least $10 million, with extra exposure through social media guaranteed to make this a profitable tour for Inter Miami.
 This is the club's first proper international tour and is another sign that they are looking to capitalise on the Messi factor to grow their fanbase. The choice of going to Hong Kong is also smart. Messi is the most popular footballer in Asia and a guaranteed hit. A few years ago, Real Madrid took a certain David Beckham on a tour of Asia to boost their own fanbase… it worked out well for them.Â
Why Nike and Adidas are Thinking Small for the Olympics 🥇
2024 will see the Olympic games in Paris. The world’s best athletes are preparing to face off on the ultimate stage, and so are the two biggest sports apparel companies.
The Olympics is a huge marketing opportunity for both Adidas and Nike. For a while, both brands have taken the star approach. They each battle it out for the biggest names and hope their picks triumph.Â
This time, both brands are thinking small. According to Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden, Adidas will now focus on more obscure sports in the hope of engaging a wider audience.
One example of this is Breaking (aka breakdancing), a new olympic sport that mixes urban dance with athleticism. Adidas recently signed Liu Qingyi, the number 1 female breaker.Â
Nike is also trying to enter Breaking, having just signed deals with the U.S., Japanese and Korean breaking federations.Â
While Breaking’s growing popularity in China is a key reason behind this switch, Adidas CEO Gulden argues that asking designers to focus on a wider variety of sports shoes helps them think outside the box and ultimately leads to innovation across every type of shoe.
So, when watching the games in Paris, look out for the secret battle raging on the feet of the athletes.
France Wants to Steal FIFA 🇫🇷
Before we leave you this week, something interesting is going on in France.Â
According to reports, the French government wants to introduce a law change that will give tax breaks to sports organisations and their employees if they decide to move to France.
This may sound a little boring and random, but apparently, France is trying to convince FIFA to move its headquarters from Zurich Switzerland to France. That would be huge.Â
Paris is where FIFA was originally founded, but Zurich has been its home for many years. That being said, there is a growing feeling that Switzerland, and its image as a place of financial secrecy, is harming FIFA’s overall image.Â
Perhaps a move to Paris is exactly what Infantino and FIFA needs.
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