Netflix will produce its first-ever live sports event ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix in mid-November.
The Netflix Cup, a celebrity golf tournament, will feature stars from flagship series Formula 1:Drive To Survive and the PGA Tour documentary Full Swing.
While the global streaming service has avoided live sports production until now, the success of the event could be telling of the app's future in sports.
What is the Netflix Cup?
The Netflix Cup will take place at Wynn Golf Club at Wynn Las Vegas on November 6 (AEDT) and will be played as an eight-hole golf match consisting of four teams.
Each team will have one F1 driver and a PGA Tour pro, with the event sanctioned by both sporting bodies.
Although the Netflix Cup will be broadcast live, viewers will be able to rewind, pause and re-watch the action as they choose.
“We love to see how our sports series have brought increased fandom to sports leagues and competitions all over the world,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President of Nonfiction Sports at Netflix.
“The Netflix Cup will take that energy to the next level with global stars from two popular hits competing in our first-ever live sports event.”
Who will play at the Netflix Cup?
Las Vegas' Netflix Cup will feature four Formula 1 drivers, and four PGA Tour professionals.
- Formula 1 Drivers: Alex Albon (Williams Racing), Pierre Gasly (BWT Alpine F1 Team), Lando Norris (McLaren Racing), and Carlos Sainz (Scuderia Ferrari).
- PGA Tour Golfers: Rickie Fowler, Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Justin Thomas.
Will Netflix continue to produce live sports?
Netflix's Australian competitors have already made the move to live sports streaming, with Stan Sport and Paramount+ finding success in Australia.
While the service has made no commitments to continue live sports production, the Netflix Cup comes as a surprise, given recent company posturing.
In July, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos claimed the company would be sticking to sports-adjacent content during a second-quarter earnings interview.
“We really think that we can have a really strong offering for sports fans on Netflix without having to be part of the difficulty of the economic model of live sports licensing,” he said.
Netflix's sports documentaries, which dive into the week-by-week stories and tensions of sporting seasons, have earned widespread popularity.
Alongside Formula 1: Drive to Survive and Full Swing, the company has plans to create series following the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Six Nations rugby union tournament.