January 10, 2024

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Netflix’s sports ambitions continue to grow with new NASCAR and NBA docuseries. … The Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra sets a new standard for NBA head coach compensation … And Shohei Ohtani will get plenty of early-season exposure on national TV.

An exclusive Front Office Sports-Harris Poll shows better-than-expected fan sentiment for the NFL’s playoff streaming efforts. What do you think of Chiefs-Dolphins being a streaming-only game? Let us know by responding to this email, and we will publish the best responses in Friday’s morning edition.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Peacock Special: Poll Says NFL Streaming Playoffs Not That Bad [[link removed]]

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL has placed perhaps the best matchup of wild card weekend on Peacock, unsurprisingly upsetting plenty of fans across the country, with many speaking out on social media about their frustration. In order to watch the Kansas City Chiefs host the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night, fans not residing in the Kansas City or South Florida markets will need a subscription to Peacock, which starts at $5.99 per month.

But despite the outrage from some, not everyone is beside themselves about the NFL playoffs existing behind a paywall. An exclusive Front Office Sports-Harris Poll shows that a majority of potential viewers are okay with Peacock, or any other streamer, getting a game like Chiefs-Dolphins.

About three in five (61%) NFL fans and two in five (45%) U.S. adults said they would be likely to pay for a subscription to a streaming service to watch an NFL playoff game, according to the survey. If the NFL were to take things a step further and make a postseason matchup a pay-per-view event, 57% of NFL fans and 42% of U.S. adults surveyed say they would be likely to pay a one-time fee to watch an NFL playoff game. Of those NFL fans willing to pay a per-game price, more than half (53%) would pay $10+, and 17% would pay $20+.

What About A Super Bowl?

If the Super Bowl ever ended up on a paid streaming service, two-thirds (64%) of NFL fans and about half (49%) of U.S. adults would be likely to pay for a subscription to watch the game, per the FOS-Harris Poll. And the same amount of NFL fans and U.S. adults would be likely to pay a one-time fee for the Super Bowl, too.

The survey was conducted online in the U.S. by The Harris Poll from Jan. 5-7, 2024, among 2,147 U.S. adults, ages 18 and over. View the full study here [[link removed]].

#️⃣ ONE BIG FIG

Get Your Popcorn: It’s Sho Time 🍿

3

The amount of times Shohei Ohtani—who just signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers—is slated to appear on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball to open the season. The network’s initial Sunday night slate features Ohtani and the Dodgers hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on March 31, the San Diego Padres on April 14, and then in New York against the Yankees on June 9.

Netflix Boosts Sports Profile With NASCAR, NBA Docuseries [[link removed]]

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Netflix’s sports ambitions have hit yet another peak with the reveal of two new documentary projects that will further raise the profile of the prominent streamer.

On Wednesday morning, Netflix released a trailer [[link removed]] for NASCAR: Full Speed, its five-part documentary series that premieres on Jan. 30 and has been in active development [[link removed]] for months. Following a similar playbook as its Formula 1-focused Drive To Survive, the NASCAR project chronicles top drivers such as Denny Hamlin, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson as they competed in last year’s NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

NASCAR: Full Speed features several noteworthy executive producers, including Connor Schell, the former ESPN executive who helped lead The Last Dance, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Netflix is also developing an NBA-themed version of its popular NFL Quarterback show, according to a report by The Athletic [[link removed]]’s Shams Charania. The docuseries is set to feature NBA stars LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, and Domantas Sabonis, and has reportedly already started filming. That effort, too, is bringing in prominent producers including James’s SpringHill Company, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, and Higher Ground Productions, co-led by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

A series name and premiere date for that NBA project has not been finalized. But the initiative adds to Netflix’s rising interest [[link removed]] in live NBA game rights, potentially including part of the successful new In-Season Tournament [[link removed]].

After years of actively resisting any notion of acquiring live sports rights—largely on financial grounds—Netflix’s interest in the space has shifted dramatically in recent months, both through the development [[link removed]] of its own content and possible deals [[link removed]] with leagues and promoters. Netflix, however, has yet to strike a large-scale deal for exclusive game rights to a major sports property as rivals Apple and Amazon have done.

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NBA Trend of Record Coaching Deals Continues With Heat’s Spoelstra [[link removed]]

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

For the third time in less than eight months, an NBA head coach has received the most lucrative contract in league history.

The Miami Heat have extended Erik Spoelstra with a new eight-year deal worth more than $120 million according to ESPN [[link removed]]. That would represent the most amount of total money committed not just in the NBA, but in all of North American professional sports coaching history.

Last summer, the Detroit Pistons made Monty Williams the highest-paid coach in the NBA with a six-year, $78.5 million contract ($13 million annually). However, just over a month later, the San Antonio Spurs extended Gregg Popovich with a five-year, $80 million deal, giving the five-time NBA champion coach a higher annual ($16 million) and total value than Williams.

Spoelstra’s new reported deal carries an annual value of $15 million, meaning Popovich remains the highest-paid head coach in the NBA on a yearly basis.

Big Bucks

Here’s a breakdown of the new top three, by total value:

Spoelstra ($120M) … 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 Popovich ($80M) ….. 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 Williams ($78.5M) … 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀

Beyond the top trio, other NBA coaches with big deals include Steve Kerr, who is entering the final year of a contract with the Golden State Warriors believed to be worth $9.5 million annually, and Rick Carlisle, who was making $7.25 million a year before receiving an undisclosed extension in October that could be even more valuable.

Conversation Starters The promoters behind “Mr. Irrelevant” have announced [[link removed]] the Irrelevant Bowl—a contest between the two worst teams in college football. The event is looking for a host city and would’ve featured Akron-Vanderbilt this season. Then there’s the tagline: “No polls, no rankings, no controversy.” Check out the first trailer [[link removed]] for Netflix’s new series NASCAR: Full Speed, which premieres Jan. 30. After eight seasons and what may be his final game in Nashville, Titans running back Derrick Henry took two minutes to thank [[link removed]] the team’s entire staff by name—from trainers to media members and the kitchen staff. SURVEYS

Want a chance to win $250? We want to get to know our audience better and improve our coverage. Fill out our new survey [[link removed]] for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card or free FOS merch!

Editor’s Picks Aaron Rodgers Addresses Jimmy Kimmel Feud, Doesn’t Apologize [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]The Jets’ QB denied calling the comedian a pedophile. Tuned In: Pat McAfee Is Channeling Howard Stern on ESPN [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Defiant McAfee won’t back down from calling Norby Williamson a “rat.” Just Undo It. Woods Confirms Split With Nike After Historic 27-year Run [[link removed]]by Eric Fisher [[link removed]]Iconic golfer part ways with Nike, ending one of the most impactful endorsement deals ever. Careers in Sports

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