Netflix enters live sports—T-Mobile and Nespresso revealed as sponsors and more details to know

Netflix is entering live sports and its first sponsors for the new venture will include Nespresso and T-Mobile, Peter Naylor, VP of global advertising sales, announced today during Advertising Week New York. The streamer will skip traditional commercials in favor of integrated sponsorships for its live sports programming, according to Naylor. The streamer announced it would dip its toe into live sports with the Netflix Cup, a golf tournament featuring athletes from the streamer’s popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” racing show and its new “Full Swing” golf series. The event will take place on Nov. 14, streaming live from Las Vegas’s Wynn Las Vegas. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Unlike other tech companies such as Amazon and Google that have streaming deals with the NFL, Netflix’s initial sports strategy is to present original programming. Although Naylor said the live event won’t include traditional ad spots, he did not elaborate on what the integrated sponsorships would look like. From 2022: Netflix says it’s not ready for live sports Netflix has been experimenting with live broadcasts recently. One of its most high-profile attempts to broadcast live went poorly after the season four reunion for the reality dating show “Love is Blind” in April was delayed and eventually pre-recorded to the disappointment of viewers. Other livestreams, such as a Chris Rock comedy special in March, have performed more smoothly. For Nespresso, the Netflix Cup offers an opportunity to grow its U.S. consumer base, which is smaller than its audience in Europe, said Nespresso VP of Marketing Jessica Padula during the Advertising Week session. Although a sports partnership may be a “head-scratcher” for a coffee brand, Padula said that the brand has found Gen Z audiences respond more to unexpected partnerships that make young consumers curious to learn more about it. Netflix has had a large presence at this year’s Advertising Week, including window wraps featuring Netflix’s name outside the Manhattan venue, as well as a multi-room pop-up inside featuring interactive games, merchandise and food. Its panel was one of the buzziest of the week thus far, with the line to enter wrapped around the venue’s ground floor and attendees reportedly being turned away due to capacity limits. Standing room viewers lined the walls as the panel opened with Netflix’s popular shows, such as “The Crown,” “Queer Eye” and “Wednesday,” as well as upcoming releases including “Maestro” starring Bradley Cooper and “Leave the World Behind” starring Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali. Netflix’s presence at AWNY is notable as advertisers have questioned the streamer’s willingness to engage with clients and participate in relationship-building traditions in the market. Amy Reinhard, who was named Netflix’s president of global advertising earlier this month after the sudden departure of Jeremi Gorman, has also been on the ground during the conference. For his part, Naylor updated the crowd on Netflix’s progress in developing its advertising products, which the executive teased would include “new and superior ad models,” though he did not go into detail. Netflix will incorporate binge ads, an ad format Naylor helped create during his time at Hulu. Binge ads, which will debut later this year, will allow one sponsor to grant an ad-free episode to viewers in exchange for watching an initial message. Netflix is also experimenting with title sponsorships. The format launched with the season 5 of “Love is Blind,” which aired its latest reunion episode Sunday, sponsored by Frito-Lay’s Smartfood.

Netflix enters live sports—T-Mobile and Nespresso revealed as sponsors and more details to know

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