F1: Netflix hopes to livestream F1 golf event

Netflix is in talks to live-stream its first sporting event this fall: a celebrity golf tournament featuring professional golfers and Formula One drivers, reports the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.

The tournament will feature celebrities from “Drive to Survive”, a docuseries about Formula One auto-racing, and “Full Swing”, which followed professional golfers during the 2022 season, the report said. This would be Netflix’s first sports livestreaming event if the deal fructifies.

Discussions about the tournament, scheduled for this fall, are in the early stages, WSJ said.

The Journal said the broadcast of the tournament, which would take place in Las Vegas and feature pro golfers and Formula One drivers, likely in conjunction with the Las Vegas GP, would allow Netflix to test out its new advertising segment, and engagement more broadly, without having to pay up for a bigger sports league.

Netflix has been exploring investments in live sports broadcasting and is in the early days of testing live broadcasts; its first live event was a Chris Rock comedy special on March 4.

Rival streaming services Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video have already added live professional sports competitions to their line-ups, acquiring the rights to major league soccer and the NFL’s Thursday night games, respectively.