The Netflix Slam: Netlfix will stream Rafael Nadal’s match against Carlos Alcaraz live. A tennis match between 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and current World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will be streamed live on Netflix on March 3, the streaming pioneer announced on Monday.
With the inclusion of professional golfers and Formula One drivers in a celebrity golf tournament in November, “The Netflix Slam” represents the company’s most recent venture into live sports.
Big tech companies are capitalizing on the growing trend of live sports streaming as viewership has increased in recent years. Major League Soccer and Friday Night Baseball are broadcast on Apple TV, while Thursday Night Football was acquired by Amazon Prime.
The MGM Resorts International MGM.N-hosted Nadal-Alcaraz match is scheduled to begin at noon inside the Michelob ULTRA Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Netflix released a statement announcing more players and matches to come.
In an era where cord-cutting is upending traditional TV-focused companies’ business models, big tech’s entry into live sports has put them under pressure. For these companies, live sports remains a rare bright spot.
After finance chief Spencer Neumann stated in September that it was difficult to see a return on billions of dollars invested in live sports, Netflix has indicated that it does not intend to compete for sports rights.
The company intends to instead concentrate on what is known as sports shoulder programming, which consists of companion content like its documentary series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” that aims to reach the same audience as live sports.
Both Spanish and English will be broadcast simultaneously during the tennis match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. Starting on Friday, tickets for the event will be available for $88.
In a statement, Rafael Nadal said, “I am sure it will be a fantastic night of tennis.”
