The NFL’s premier event – the Super Bowl- is set to be broadcast on ESPN for the first time in the network’s history. This has happened due to the deal it signed in 2021, which has allowed the network to get into the rotation to broadcast the event. However, looking forward to the future of the Super Bowl, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has a suggestion for the sporting spectacle’s new broadcasting home. Instead of opting for a traditional broadcaster like FOX, where the Playmaker previously worked, Irvin wants streaming giants Netflix to broadcast the Super Bowl.

“I believe what’s going to happen is that ESPN now gets the Super Bowl, so it goes from ESPN, boom, to streaming. To Netflix,” Irvin said on his YouTube Channel. “Because I just can’t even imagine what would happen if you get Netflix the Super Bowl. And what will that be, you know? Because Netflix is really all over the world, and that’s where you want the Super Bowl to go.”

Michael Irvin, despite retiring from the NFL in 2000, has grown into a prominent NFL media member who has evolved with the times. Cowboys No. 88 had stints with the NFL Network, ESPN, and FOX Sports, where he was a prominent member of two popular shows, Undisputed and Speak, which were cancelled.

Irvin was cut from the NFL Network after being on the company’s payroll for 15 years in 2024, as it cancelled the NFL Total Access show after 21 years. After those stints on TV, Irvin made his Netflix debut with his own podcast, The White House with Michael Irvin.

“I am excited about this new venture with Netflix and the opportunity to blend elements of traditional television with the evolving world of podcasting,” Irvin said in an interview with Tudum. “This project allows us to take what worked in the old format and reimagine it for today’s audience.”

Hence, with his affiliation with the streaming platform, Irvin’s suggestion of the Super Bowl’s new home makes sense. But a streaming platform hosting the Big Game wouldn’t be a distant possibility with the league expressing its support for this new avenue of broadcast.

Netflix’s first entry into the NFL was during the Christmas Day game in 2024. At that time, they were only involved in a three-year deal for Christmas Day games. Recently, that deal was extended to four more years, with three additional games.

Last year, the Christmas Day game between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings set the record for the most-streamed NFL game in U.S. history, averaging 27.5 million. This indicates the streaming platform can attract more viewers, especially with its growing reach in over 200 countries.

However, a massive public backlash can be expected due to the costs that will be involved with streaming platforms getting a game like the Super Bowl. Already, the league is under investigation by the DOJ.

Roger Goodell defended the league’s decision to have games on streaming platforms, following the Department of Justice’s investigation into whether the NFL’s sale of broadcast rights is adversely affecting consumers. The DOJ initiated the probe to promote affordability and ensure fair competition among providers, a government official told ABC News.

NFL issues support for Netflix and other platforms amid DOJ probe

With the NFL facing criticism for transitioning towards streaming platforms, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has expressed support for the streaming platforms. The league has been under investigation by the DOJ because the sale of broadcast rights can influence consumers, who need to purchase various streaming services to watch games that were free earlier.

“88 percent of our games, roughly, are on broadcast television,” Goodell said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “The other 12 percent are on platforms that are incredibly widely distributed, and people are already there. Netflix is not a small distribution. In fact, you can make an argument that it’s bigger than some of the networks.”

The league broadcasts approximately 88% of NFL games on free television. Yet, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, three of the world’s largest video streaming platforms, receive the remaining 12% of games. However, the costs to watch these games on streaming platforms are what leaders and people in the NFL community feel are unreasonable.

The Super Bowl’s broadcast future is shifting, and Michael Irvin’s Netflix pitch reflects a broader reality. With the NFL already distributing games across platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube, and streaming now accounting for nearly half of all TV viewing, a fully streamed Super Bowl feels less like a bold idea and more like an inevitable next step.