When Netflix announced last month that it had acquired the rights to two NFL football games to stream on Christmas Day, TV news agents were buzzing. If the streaming behemoth is getting into sports — after saying for so long that it wouldn't — could live news shows be far behind as the Los Gatos, Calif.
League media rights fees have escalated in recent years, because live game telecasts are the most reliable way to attract large audiences for appointment viewing. The buyers of those rights have some degree of certainty of what they are getting when they sign the deal. Not so with news. “In sports you know where the cameras are beforehand and everything is exclusive,” Heyward said. “The big difference between sports and news is having to pay to be prepared for the unexpected.