• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, December 30, 2024

Netflix's strong debut of the NFL on Christmas Day now sends a crucial and more obvious message to traditional TV networks and upcoming streamers alike: Sports is here to stay, taking on a bigger role for networks and streamers alike -- and competition for those airing rights will only get harder

If you are at Warner Bros. Discovery -- which just lost its prized NBA deal -- surveying the results of Netflix broadcast-like 24 million viewers for two Christmas Day Games might have legacy TV executives shaking their heads. All this compounds WBD’s loss of the NBA rights for the next decade or so.

If that is not enough, ABC/ESPN results from its NBA Christmas Day games -- including the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Golden State Warriors -- did not help either.

The Lakers-Warriors earned 7.8 million Nielsen-measured viewers on the day, the most-watched NBA regular-season and Christmas Day game in five years.

All Christmas Day NBA games on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+ and Disney+ earned an average 5.3 million -- up 84% from a year ago.

Next year will present a clear picture of how sports on TV and streaming will remain front and center.

With the high-profile political season over, and special programming such as the Paris Olympics in the rear-view mirror, the importance of regular scheduled televised sports events will take on an even bigger presence on center stage.

All advertisers are on high alert, with the entire TV/streaming marketplace looking strong for the first quarter of 2025 for all content, according to reports.

And for sports programming, commercials during live sports generated 24% more engagement than other programming, according to advertising data company EDO Ad EnGage.

Wannabe sports-focused TV networks/streamers looking for a smoother path to growth will have to deal with two major sports properties (NBA and NFL) not being available for a decade or more. This also includes Comcast Corp's. current summer/winter Olympics deal, which does not expire until 2032 -- eight years, at $7.75 billion.

What’s left? Major League Baseball’s deal with Fox Corp. ends in 2028. The NHL’s deal with TNT and ABC/ESPN also stops in 2028.

There is just enough time for TV networks and streamers to consider what to do next in the hope of ringing up a big score in the future.