Netflix continues to refine its approach to sports as it expands beyond its on-demand foundation, and Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria offered a clearer picture of that strategy this week. Speaking with Netflix sports lead anchor Elle Duncan at the CAA World Congress of Sports, Bajaria said the company’s growing interest in live content stems from both necessity and opportunity.
While Netflix built its business on viewer control and flexibility, certain programming requires a different mindset.
“We want to be great at everything,” Bajaria said, explaining that live content introduces a new layer to the platform’s evolution.
That shift hasn’t come without challenges. Netflix’s infrastructure and identity were designed for on-demand viewing. Asking audiences to tune in at a specific time marks a notable departure from that model. Still, Bajaria made it clear the company sees value in moments that can drive real-time conversation.
“To actually do something live and say, ‘This is the time we want you to watch something,’ is just a different strategy,” said Bajaria.
As a result, Netflix has focused on events that feel culturally relevant and unpredictable. Bajaria described those as “buzzy” opportunities that can break through in a crowded media landscape.
Sports, in particular, fits that vision — but only under the right conditions. Rather than pursuing every available rights package, Netflix is prioritizing select, high-impact plays. Bajaria described the company’s mindset as “go big or go home,” pointing to international efforts like the World Baseball Classic as an early example of testing that philosophy.
At the same time, Netflix continues to lean into storytelling as its core strength.
Bajaria called sports “the best soap opera,” noting that emotional investment often starts outside the live event itself. Even when the company does lean into live programming, it looks for ways to differentiate.
Ultimately, Netflix’s strategy reflects a hybrid model. The company is expanding into live sports, but not at the expense of its entertainment-first identity. For Bajaria, the goal is not to replicate traditional broadcasters. Instead, it’s to find selective opportunities where live content enhances what Netflix already does best.
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