Netflix to showcase NFL Films’ Inside the NFL in lead-up to Super Bowl
Netflix has secured the streaming rights for the last five episodes of NFL Films iconic series Inside the NFL.
The episodes are scheduled to be released each Wednesday leading up to the week after the Super Bowl. Renowned for its cinematic review of recent league games, the show utilises footage captured by NFL Films and features analysis from former players.
Originally airing on HBO in 1977, Inside the NFL has been a longstanding premium cable offering, distinguished by its content and commercial-free broadcasts. Over the years, the show transitioned between networks, moving to Showtime in 2008, Paramount+ in 2021 and, most recently, to The CW for over-the-air network broadcasts in the last year. The CW will also broadcast the final five episodes of this season.
In other NFL broadcasting news, the first week of the post-season proved to be a ratings success for the league’s broadcast partners. Peacock’s exclusive broadcast of Kansas City Chiefs’ victory over Miami Dolphins set a new record as the largest live-streamed event in the US, reaching an average of 23 million viewers when factoring in local viewers on NBC’s stations in the two cities. NBC’s Saturday AFC Wild Card broadcast of the Houston Texans’ win over the Cleveland Browns averaged 29 million viewers.
Fox’s Sunday afternoon broadcast of Green Bay Packers’ surprise victory over Dallas Cowboys also drew an impressive audience, averaging over 40 million viewers, marking the fifth-largest viewership for a Wild Card game. NBC continued the trend with a strong average of 35.8 million viewers for Detroit Lions’ narrow triumph over Los Angeles Rams on Sunday evening.
CBS, the exclusive broadcaster of this year’s Super Bowl, faced an unexpected hurdle when the Sunday afternoon matchup between Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed by 24 hours due to weather conditions. The impact on ratings remains uncertain, with the match ultimately contested in front of a full stadium on Monday afternoon.
ESPN rounded off the Wild Card weekend with 28.6 million viewers across all platforms for Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ victory over Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, a game that was simulcast on ABC.
