The larger conversation around Netflix’s third quarter earnings on Thursday was (which it had previously stated) that ad revenue is expected to reach $3 billion by the end of the year.

How it hits that mark, and grows beyond it, is directly dependent on its expanding slate of live programming. Specifically, live sports.

During the earnings call, Netflix touched on adding new live events (podcasts and sports) to the platform as a primary driver for ad revenue. And the service said it expects that live events will account for 5% of its content budget this year.

Existing Sports Properties

That investment was on full display this week, as Netflix aired Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby for the first time. While its 5.3 million viewers were the event’s smallest audience since 2003, dropoffs are usually expected for any programming that shifts from traditional TV (broadcast or cable) to streaming.

Netflix will also air five live NFL games this regular season – all of which keenly focused on pulling in big audiences for an eventized property.

Along with the standout Week One game from Australia between the (Super Bowl favorite) Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers, Netflix will also air three separate holiday matchups.

First among those comes the night before........

© Forbes