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“No Thanks”: Netflix’s Pilot Sporting Project With PGA Tour and F1 Stars Meets a ‘Horrible’ Verdict From the Fans

Published 11/15/2023, 7:20 AM EST

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Though the PGA Tour season has already ended, fans will have no shortage when it comes to golf-based entertainment. Streaming giant Netflix organized the Netflix Cup on November 14, which was a one-of-a-kind live sports event for subscribers.

In the new format, each team consisted of one PGA Tour golfer and one Formula 1 driver. The event was held at the Wynn Las Vegas golf course. The match was exclusively broadcast on the streaming platform. However, apparently the Netflix Cup was not too well received by fans.

What is the Netflix Cup and who are the players?

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When it comes to visualizing sports content and presenting them in the form of great entertainment, Netflix has already been successful. It has hosted two seasons of the golf docuseries “Full Swing”. But these events are not just limited to golf. Netflix has spread its branches to other sports as well.

This time, they came up with a brilliant marketing strategy of merging two sports. Taking home members from their own content, “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” and “Full Swing”, it put in a match-play tournament. The match had four pairs with two members each, a Formula 1 driver and a PGA Tour professional.

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The first match was Lando Norris and Rickie Fowler versus Carlos Sainz and Justin Thomas. The second match was Alex Albon and Max Homa versus Pierre Gasly and Tony Finau. Collin Morikawa was replaced by Finau after he withdrew from the Netflix Cup due to an injury. The top two teams were to reach the final hole, and the first one to clear it won the tournament. The Netflix Cup was won by Carlos Sainz and Justin Thomas. But some fans were not happy with this event. When golf data analyst Rick Gehman hosted a poll on X to rate the Netflix Cup, the result was very poor.

The poll results of Gehman showed that many people were unaware of this new tournament. Moreover, those who were aware and did watch it were not satisfied with what they saw. They found this attempt of Netflix mixing sports and entertainment to be a failure.

“Cold as Ice”: Victorious Carlos Sainz Credits Partner in Crime Justin Thomas as Tony Finau Fails to Save Drowning Pierre Gasly

Netflix’s sports content gets reality check by fans

Not many were thrilled upon finding out that the streaming giant had come up with the idea of combining the two sports. There was also something lacking in the marketing of the event, as it couldn’t make it to the right audience in time.

Without even taking a peek at the show, this user predicted that the event would be “absolute garbage”.

This user who did watch the event was frustrated by the audio issues and low production values.

This man was just surprised to learn about the show, as he did not know what the analyst was tweeting about.

This user too watched the show and described his experience as a mixture between good and bad.

And one user was utterly perplexed upon hearing the name of the show.

This was the only positive comment among heaps of criticism. This fan enjoyed the show and liked the variety it displayed.

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The Netflix Cup match can be called a step towards innovation and trying to blend different sports to provide fans with a unique type of thrill. Did you watch the Netflix Cup? If yes, then what did you think of it? Let us know in the comments.

Also Read – Weeks After Getting Brutally Slammed by Brooks Koepka, LIV Golf Teammate Unveils His Stellar Persona During the $25,000,000 Event

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Written by:

Shafaque Taha

745Articles

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Shafaque Taha is a senior golf writer at EssentiallySports. Combining her knowledge from her master's degree in English literature with her passion for the sport, she now looks to bring words to life for readers with her niche golf coverage. Her love for the sport stems from the calming greens and the rush of adrenaline one feels when on them, and she especially enjoys watching LPGA Tour professionals in action.
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Edited by:

Shweta Parande

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