Netflix continued its foray into live sport streaming on Christmas Day, but NFL fans were quickly calling for it to end.
The streaming giant was home to two festive NFL fixtures as the Cowboys-Commanders and Lions-Vikings clashes were broadcast on the platform.
Fan favorite Kay Adams led a studio team that included Michael Irvin, Austin Ekeler, and Jason McCourty.
Meanwhile, Ian Eagle, Nate Burleson and Matt Ryan called the early Cowboys-Commanders game, and Noah Eagle and Drew Brees handled the Lions-Vikings matchup.
However, despite the star-studded lineup, viewers swiftly turned on the coverage with many taking issue with the impromptu interviews in particular.
The broadcast was continuously interrupted by live interviews in the middle of the game with former players such as Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders and Cris Carter calling in during the pair of contests.
NFL fans ripped into Netflix’s coverage of the Christmas Day action on Thursday
Netflix was home to two festive fixtures – the Cowboys-Commanders and Lions-Vikings
And fans slammed the coverage on social media with many less than impressed with the ‘terrible’ broadcast.
‘These former player Zoom interviews while game is being played are a terrible idea,’ one furious viewer wrote on X.
Another asked: ‘Why is it every time @Netflix does an NFL game I feel the need to post about how terrible their broadcast is?’
‘These Netflix NFL broadcasts are amateurish,’ claimed a third. ‘The in-game-interviews are a disaster. The scorebug looks like it was made by cheap AI. And the broadcast crew has absolutely no juice.
Referring to WWE star Seth Rollins, they added: ‘And why the f*** is a wrestler giving me football analysis at halftime?’
‘Hey @NFL & @netflix I have to admit I’m NOT liking the experience of NFL coverage,’ another bemoaned. ‘I want to watch the game i don’t need to hear Clinton Portis or Emmitt Smith before that being interviewed this is a football game not remember the past.’
‘Actually watching nfl on Netflix today and I honestly have no idea what’s going on,’ claimed one. ‘There is constant talking and interviewing over a game and not commenting on the actual play of the game. Wtf is this horses***. This is not football.’
Others blamed the NFL for the broadcast after the league granted the rights to the streaming platform.
Viewers swiftly turned on the coverage with many taking issue with impromptu interviews
‘Hey @NFL stop selling games to @netflix. They can’t handle it. The stream is absolutely trash,’ said one.
‘Netflix NFL coverage is awful. Whatever the opposite of customer-focused is, that’s what the @nfl did here,’ added another.
Last year’s holiday, marked the first time that the company, which was founded in 1998, has aired NFL games.
The streaming giant agreed to a three-year contract in May 2023 to carry Christmas Day games.
