Netflix’s sports growth strategy is helping the streaming platform become one of the leading sports broadcasters in the world following positive Q1’ 2025 results.
Netflix overall revenue grew by 12.5% for the first quarter of 2025 to $10.54bn, which was more than it expected and higher than forecasted subscription and advertising revenue. Net income for the period saw an increase from $2.33bn to $2.89bn year-over-year.
The streaming giant largely attributed the growth in revenue to membership growth and higher pricing, as Netflix raised its subscription price for its standard plan to $17.99 a month, whilst its ad-supported plan stands at $7.99 and its premium plan costing $24.99.
Advertisement revenue was also higher year-over-year, particularly due to the airing of two Christmas Day NFL fixtures, the first NFL games to be broadcasted live on Netflix, with the company selling out its ad inventory for both games.
While these two one-off NFL fixtures remain in the mould of Netflix’s current sports strategy plan, the launch of its 10-year broadcast partnership with WWE’s weekly programme Monday Night RAW suggests a glimpse into the future of the platform’s sports content moving forward.
James Venn, Group Director at Fuse, told Insider Sport that Netflix is demonstrating strong interest in long-term sports rights to compete with traditional TV broadcasters.
He shared: “Starting in 2023 with ‘The Netflix Cup’ a non-competitive round of golf between F1 drivers and PGA Tour players, Netflix’s presence in the sports streaming world has gone from strength to strength. And the company’s Q1 earnings prove it’s been a profitable venture. As Netflix grows in confidence, its approach has shifted, moving from the experimental to strategic.
“Until recently, the focus was on high-impact, standalone events; think Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and the NFL games on Christmas Day. These are designed to pull in new viewers and drive revenue through subscriptions and ads. But now, attention has turned to building audiences over the long term.”
Netflix’s enticing global reach
Netflix has already begun to see the benefits of broadcasting a weekly live sports entertainment show with WWE’s RAW. The company revealed in the Q1’ 2025 report that RAW has been ranked in the top 10 weekly shows across 29 different countries, maintaining its place on the list since its network launch on 9 January 2025.
Netflix also owns the rights to broadcast WWE Premium Live Events internationally also, with the streaming platform coming off the back of its first broadcast of WWE’s flagship event WrestleMania this weekend in Las Vegas.
Venn states that the 10-year deal with WWE demonstrates the global appeal Netflix has in being able to grow sports leagues’ fanbase across existing and new territories as it is home to over 300 million subscribers in a vast number of countries.
“The $5bn WWE deal marks Netflix’s first major move into season-long rights, giving it a consistent live sports presence with global appeal,” he said.
“With the option to opt out after five years or extend for another ten, it’s a calculated bet on long-term growth. Add to that the rights to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031, and the trajectory is clear: Netflix is building a live sports portfolio with both reach and relevance.”
Also realising the benefit of customer personalisation with the three separate subscription plans, Netflix is garnering more attention from the sports industry as its user-friendly interface and policies enable customers to watch on Netflix with greater flexibility.
Now with the rights for the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the US, as well as interest in a plethora of other sports, Netflix is not only strengthening its present day sports broadcast position, but aiming to be a disruptive leader in the space.
Venn added: “While the core strategy still centres on must-watch, ad-friendly events tailored to specific audiences, the scale of investment suggests a deeper commitment.
“These deals aren’t just about content, they’re about learning, refining and commercialising live sport at scale. It’s a smart play to curb subscriber churn, increase ad revenues, and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market – and the Q1 results show it’s working.”
