It’s a familiar story—big companies with tons of resources miss the mark when delivering their services.
Take Netflix, for instance. On Major League Baseball’s Opening Night, they thought viewers would want to enjoy their platform’s offerings. But fans really just wanted to watch baseball. Specifically, the Yankees facing off against the Giants. And yes, the game was streaming on Netflix, but that wasn’t the highlight.
The 2026 MLB season kicked off with Netflix hosting its first exclusive game. It’s a big deal for the league and the streaming giant, especially since Netflix has over 300 million subscribers globally. But while that’s great for business, fans were more interested in the game, not the streaming platform.
One standout from the broadcast was play-by-play announcer Matt Vasgersian, who brought credibility to the experience. Alongside former players CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence, they provided decent commentary—although the Yankees’ 7-0 lead didn’t offer much strategy to discuss.
Yet, not everything went smoothly. During the fifth inning, an interview with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred fell flat. Instead of insights on the game or league, we learned trivial details like his first Opening Day experience from decades ago.
The partnership between Netflix and MLB is part of a broader shift in sports viewing. Netflix acquired rights to several key events, like Opening Day and the Home Run Derby, for a cool $50 million each year over three years.
The pregame lineup featured big names, including Barry Bonds and Anthony Rizzo, but much of the focus felt misplaced. Instead of immersing fans in the game, there were distracting comedy bits and celebrity appearances like Jameis Winston, whose presence raised more eyebrows than cheers.
Even the presentation showed this disconnection. We had moments where the game’s score would vanish during key player interviews. And let’s not forget the time delay of 20 minutes before the game actually started.
Rather than engaging hardcore fans, Netflix seemed to cater more to casual viewers. This was evident with repetitive promotional segments that overshadowed the main event. For instance, Rizzo awkwardly referred to the night as “Netflix Opening Day,” which just doesn’t resonate.
In the end, while Netflix aimed to innovate, it’s clear that the game itself should take center stage. As any baseball fan knows, it’s all about “The Show”—the game and its story, not the streaming service behind it. Balancing entertainment with the essence of the sport could be the key to winning over die-hard baseball fans in such a crowded media space.
In a world where the traditional viewing experience is increasingly disrupted, companies need to remember: fans want the game, not the gimmicks.
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New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, MLB, Opinion, Sports Business
