Netflix’s NFL coverage is off to a rocky start with several blunders

Netflix’s NFL coverage is off to a rocky start with several blunders

Netflix made several blunders in the first few minutes of its NFL coverage.

While the streaming quality of the pregame show has been stable so far following issues with last month’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight, Wednesday’s Christmas broadcast began with silence as Kay Adams kicked off and her microphone for about 10 seconds during the opening period apparently wasn’t turned on.

A few minutes later, while Mina Kimes was talking, Netflix cut to an ad for the second season of Squid Games.


Kay Adams before the Chiefs-Texans game in Kansas City on December 21, 2024.
Kay Adams before the Chiefs-Texans game in Kansas City on December 21, 2024. David Smith/CSM/Shutterstock

The pregame show then returned as if nothing had happened.

Netflix begins its first live broadcast of the NFL today with a two-hour pregame show leading up to Chiefs vs. Steelers at 1 p.m. and Ravens vs. Texans at 4:30 p.m

The Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix paid $150 million for the two games and that the streamer will get at least one holiday game in each of the next two seasons.

Concerns were raised about how Wednesday’s broadcasts would go after widespread problems during the Paul-Tyson boxing match, with many of the roughly 60 million announced viewers experiencing buffering issues.

The NFL came away from talks with Netflix “reassured” that Netflix knew what went wrong and that the problems would be resolved by Christmas, ESPN reported last month.


Netflix paid $150 million for Wednesday's two NFL Christmas games.
Netflix paid $150 million for Wednesday’s two NFL Christmas games. REUTERS

While stream traffic will likely increase significantly after the Chiefs and Steelers kickoff, streaming quality was maintained well at the start of the pregame show.

But the other technical problems gave the wrong impression at first glance.

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