Boomer Esiason teases potential partnership between NFL, Netflix

If there’s one thing we all know about the NFL it’s that the league isn’t afraid to think outside of the box in the name of turning a profit.

This is why former quarterback-turned-analyst Boomer Esiason believes the NFL could strike a deal with streaming giant Netflix in the near future to broadcast games during the holiday season.

“Netflix has about 270 million subscribers worldwide,” Esiason said on WFAN’s “Boomer and Gio.” “This is why I believe, I could be wrong but I don’t think that I am…do not be surprised if the NFL and Netflix get in bed for a nice little Christmas Day football game. I would not be surprised.”

While Esiason did say to take his statement with a grain of salt, he may be onto something.

“Expanding the digital distribution of NFL content while maintaining wide reach for our games continues to be a key priority for the League,” NFL Media executive VP and chief operating officer Hans Schroeder said last year after the league announced a streaming partnership deal for a playoff game with Peacock.

That playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins peaked with 28 million viewers and was considered an overwhelming success by the NFL.

Netflix is currently the No. 1 streaming platform in the country with more than 260 million subscribers, followed by Disney+ with 157.7 million subscribers, Amazon Prime with 117 million subscribers, Max (formerly HBO Max) with 97 million subscribers and Paramount+ with 60 million subscribers rounding out the top five.

The NFL has shown interest in expanding its reach and audience to more digital platforms, and with Netflix being the largest out there, it wouldn’t be surprising to see professional football in its lineup soon.