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Netflix’s Trojan Horse

The sports media world erupted last month when word leaked that Netflix was looking at ways to stream the Notre Dame–USC game—despite the fact that Notre Dame is under contract with NBC, and USC’s rights are tied up with the Big Ten. The saga, more than anything, spotlighted Netflix’s aggressive plan to “eventize” sports.

College Football
You can’t blame the Trojans for trying to make an extra buck, especially given this unregulated landscape—though it seems extraordinarily naive that the school thought it had the rights to get this kind of deal done. Photo: Ric Tapia/Getty Images
John Ourand
September 22, 2025

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Last month, Netflix set off a firestorm in the world of sports media when news leaked that the streamer was looking to pick up the rights to a Notre Dame–USC game. As you know, college football draws huge viewership numbers—second only to the NFL among U.S. TV audiences—which is why Netflix executives were interested in one of the sport’s most enduring rivalries. The problem was, Notre Dame is currently and perennially under contract with NBC, which owns the rights to all of its home games. Plus, as a recent addition to the Big Ten, USC games are included in deals with Fox, CBS, and NBC. The networks hold the rights to all the home games for Big Ten schools, even the out-of-conference ones.