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The Final Countdown: Top 5 Fantasy Football picks for 2018

By
J.T. Clifton
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In the final part of our NFL Fantasy Football three-part series, I’m going to give you the pick that’s going to win the league for you (provided you get a top 5 pick). It’s a lot of pressure drafting 1st overall.

What if that player gets hurt? What if he’s a bust? You’re the laughing-stock of the league after that. These five guys should be your picks if you’re drafting in the top 5. Remember, these rankings are based on non-PPR standard leagues.

5. Zeke Elliott – RB Dal: When he plays, Zeke has been a star since he came into the league for Dallas. Elliot has faced a lot of issues off the field and served suspensions for it. Hopefully for him, all of that is in the past. He’s one of the best pure runners in the league and has one of the league’s best offensive lines. The only thing that would even begin to worry me about Zeke is the fact NFL teams don’t believe Dak Prescott can beat them and will stack the box against him.

4. Antonio Brown – WR Pit: Brown has been the model for consistency. He’s been the best receiver for years now, and that doesn’t seem to be changing. He finally has someone on the other side who compliments him well in JuJu Smith-Schuster. That could lead to a few less targets, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take the receiver here. He’s made over 1,200 yards and 100 catches every year since 2013. In a PPR league, Brown could be the first overall pick.

3. David Johnson – RB Ari: Johnson is coming off a season-ending wrist surgery. The good news about this is, it’s not his knees. He had one of the best fantasy seasons in a long time in 2016 with 1,239 rushing yards and 879 receiving yards to go along with 20 TDs. The only bright spot in 2017 was he already had six catches in the one game he played. Johnson will bounce back and give the Cardinals a much-needed boost and they will rely on him often.

2. Todd Gurley – RB LAR: Last year, Gurley could single-handedly win games for fantasy owners. In one fantasy week, he racked up more than 50 points in my standard, non-PPR league. He finished with 1,305 yards rushing and 788 yards receiving. The only thing keeping him off the top spot this year is Le’Veon Bell is playing for a contract and Gurley isn’t. He received a four-year, $60 million extension this offseason.

1. Le’Veon Bell – RB Pit: As aforementioned, Bell is a man on a mission this year. He’s going to show the Steelers what they’re missing in not giving him a contract extension, then leave. He’s had more than 1,200 yards rushing and 600 receiving the last two years and that’s with him missing five games. He’s a fantasy stud and it won’t change this year. Take Bell 1st overall and win your league with him anchoring the running back position.

Be an American: Three things we learned in the AAC during week 1

By
Memphis Spence
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Bearcats vs Bruins September 1, 2018 (Photo by Jevone Moore)

Week one has come and gone and what a glorious opening to the college football season!  Upsets and near-upsets lined the fields and early Heisman hopes were dashed as we all consumed the sport we love the most.  Now that the dust has settled on opening weekend, here are a few things we learned about the American Athletic Conference.

  1. Geoff Collins has work to do. Philly is a long way from Gainesville where Collins recently assembled the 6th ranked defense in the nation just two years ago for the Gators under McElwain.  That’s a stark contrast to what we saw from Temple during the first weekend in September as FCS Villanova ruined the Owls home opener winning 19-17.  This shocking home opening loss to Villanova is compounded by how it occurred.  Villanova QB Zach Bednarczyk threw three touchdown passes against Geoff Collins vaunted defense finishing 29 of 40 with 254 yards and one interception.  Two of those touchdowns were in the first quarter.  If a team that went 3-5 last year in the Colonial Athletic Conference can drop multiple touchdowns on your defense in the first quarter, can you imagine what the high powered offenses in the AAC will do to it?
  2. The Bearcats have a ground game. One of the storylines that has been swept under the rug during week one is Cincinnati’s dominant victory over Chip Kelly lead UCLA.  The 26-17 final score indicates a game that was closer than it really was.  The complete dominance of UCLA’s defensive line by the Bearcats caught everyone, including myself, off guard as RB Michael Warren II racked up 141 yards and three touchdowns behind Cincinnati’s senior lead offensive line.  This marks consecutive losses by UCLA to teams in the American Athletic Conference with last year’s defeat at the hands of Memphis.  Luke Fickle’s first recruiting class last year was instrumental in Saturday’s win as redshirt freshman QB Desmond Ridder and sophomore RB Michael Warren were both instrumental in this win.

  3. Navy can’t stop the pass. Ken Niumatalolo has seen just about everything in his 13 years at the helm of the Midshipmen.  However, QB Cole McDonald’s Rainbow Warrior squad may have already scuttled Navy’s season.  The 59 points given up by the Midshipmen on Saturday were the most since December 19th, 2012 when Brock Osweiler and Vontaze Burfict lead Arizona State to a 62-28 victory in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl.  McDonald’s 428 yards passing and 6 touchdowns may be the start to a very long season for Navy if admiral Niumatalolo can’t figure out how to turn his adrift secondary around.

Pay the Man! Aaron Donald seeks new contract

By
Stephen Patrick
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Aaron Donald / (USATSI)

The Los Angeles Rams had an above average defense, but with cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib on board, their defensive swag is high. On top of those moves, Ndamukong Suh will be paired with Defensive Player of the Year defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Or, will he? The Rams gave Suh a one-year, $14 million deal this offseason. The DT he was paired with is still waiting on his payday.  

Due to ongoing contract negotiations between the two parties, Aaron Donald is holding out of training camp for the second straight year. It looks like he has no plans to rejoin the team for training camp. How was an extension for Donald not priority number one? 

“We’re in the same zip code,” Rams general manger Les Snead said, suggesting they may not be far apart in contract talks “Nothing has changed since we started this process. The goal is still to come up with a win-win situation for the reigning defensive MVP and the Los Angeles Rams, and that’s a long-term contract for Aaron Donald.” 

Donald has out-performed his current contract since he was a first-round pick in 2014. The problem with last year’s holdout is, he has just three years of credit even though the 2018 season is his fifth in the league. Staying at three years by holding out again this year will prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Donald is scheduled to earn $6.9 million of his rookie contract. However, his play demands a contract in excess of $20 million per season. That number would make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history, but it can be argued he’s the best player in the league. 

Donald put up 11 sacks and five, forced fumbles last season leading the defense and the Rams to the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 season. He’s made the Pro Bowl in all his first, four seasons, is a three-time, First Team All-Pro member and won the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year. That sounds like a promotion. His Defensive Player of the Year season was won while playing only 14 games. What makes things worse is, Donald has watched wide receiver Brandin Cooks and running back Todd Gurley sign extensions with the Rams, while having little progress in his extension talks. Some feel Cooks was overpaid. 

The Rams are good and are expected to take the next step as Super Bowl contenders. Not having one of the best players in the league won’t help their cause. Donald is one of the few players who can change the game on every snap. At just 27 years old, he has the opportunity to be a defensive building block for many seasons to come. The Rams must sign him to an extension sooner than later. Los Angeles is the city of the stars and there may be no bigger defensive star than Donald. 

Top 5 Fantasy picks for 2018

By
J.T. Clifton
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0
Le'Veon Bell / (USATSI)

In the final part of our NFL Fantasy Football three-part series, I’m going to give you the pick that’s going to win the league for you (provided you get a top 5 pick). It’s a lot of pressure drafting 1st overall. What if that player gets hurt? What if he’s a bust? You’re the laughing stock of the league after that. These five guys should be your picks if you’re drafting in the top 5. Remember, these rankings are based on non-PPR standard leagues.

5. Zeke Elliott – RB Dal:When he plays, Zeke has been a star since he came into the league for Dallas. Elliot has faced a lot of issues off the field and served suspensions for it. Hopefully for him, all of that is in the past. He’s one of the best pure runners in the league and has one of the league’s best offensive lines. The only thing that would even begin to worry me about Zeke is the fact NFL teams don’t believe Dak Prescott can beat them and will stack the box against him.

4. Antonio Brown – WR Pit:Brown has been the model for consistency. He’s been the best receiver for years now, and that doesn’t seem to be changing. He finally has someone on the other side who compliments him well in JuJu Smith-Schuster. That could lead to a few less targets, but I wouldn’t hesitate to take the receiver here. He’s made over 1,200 yards and 100 catches every year since 2013. In a PPR league, Brown could be the first overall pick.

David Johnson / ( USATSI)

3. David Johnson – RB Ari:Johnson is coming off a season-ending wrist surgery. The good news about this is, it’s not his knees. He had one of the best fantasy seasons in a long time in 2016 with 1,239 rushing yards and 879 receiving yards to go along with 20 TDs. The only bright spot in 2017 was he already had six catches in the one game he played. Johnson will bounce back and give the Cardinals a much-needed boost and they will rely on him often.

2. Todd Gurley – RB LAR:Last year, Gurley could single-handedly win games for fantasy owners. In one fantasy week, he racked up more than 50 points in my standard, non-PPR league. He finished with 1,305 yards rushing and 788 yards receiving. The only thing keeping him off the top spot this year is Le’Veon Bell is playing for a contract and Gurley isn’t. He received a four-year, $60 million extension this offseason.

1. Le’Veon Bell – RB Pit:As aforementioned, Bell is a man on a mission this year. He’s going to show the Steelers what they’re missing in not giving him a contract extension, then leave. He’s had more than 1,200 yards rushing and 600 receiving the last two years and that’s with him missing five games. He’s a fantasy stud and it won’t change this year. Take Bell 1st overall and win your league with him anchoring the running back position. 

Analysis of three, top stories in entertainment, media and sports

By
Jeremy Evans
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In this Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, photo, The Walt Disney Co. logo appears on a screen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The Walt Disney Co. reports earnings, Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Nike and Clemson, Disney, Fox, Hulu and the Hollywood Blacklist 

Clemson University re-signs with Nike

There are three, important things in athletic apparel partnerships with colleges and universities. First, length and amount, as most are exclusive agreements stating how much the university gets paid and for how long. Second, merchandise sales performance and how sales can change existing obligations to the agreement through renegotiation, increased payment or apparel coming from the sponsor. Third, control over design, intellectual property and royalties on apparel.

Well, Clemson and Nike, through their extended partnership agreement on apparel for the university’s athletic programs, just demonstrated all three tenants of sports sponsorship contract drafting. The result of increased merchandise sales (no doubt due to Clemson’s recent Division 1 football dominance in the Atlantic Coast Conference) landed Clemson more money, more apparel and more royalties. With two years remaining on the existing agreement, the new agreement will extend that partnership through the 2027-28 academic year and Nike will provide the Clemson Athletic Department $58 million in apparel allowances, direct cash payouts and royalties.

Disney shows its hand regarding content distribution 

In a recent Hollywood Reporter interview with Disney executive Ricky Strauss, who was given creative oversight of the in-development Disney streaming service, Strauss shed some light on the company’s plans for its newly-acquired and to-be-developed content. Basically, Disney will stream its family-oriented content on the Disney platform, leaving many to assume Hulu would stream the Fox content since Fox’s content is not family-friendly like Disney and Disney now owns Fox’s 30% stake in Hulu along with its own 30% stake (that is 60% for the math geniuses out there). Disney, like Netflix, Amazon and others, will also develop original content with the possibility of direct-to-consumer/platform options. As for pricing, between Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, the monthly prices for those three services is still less than basic cable with room to spare. Furthermore, T-Mobile offers free Netflix for some account holders, while Sprint offers the same with Hulu (limited commercials) through its Unlimited plan, while interestingly enough T-Mobile, Sprint and Nokia are now one company. Disney probably saw that market opening and decided to make its own streamer with its own content to skip the middle man and reach customers directly.

Should we be worried about the blacklist?

Matters of the heart are one thing; matters of public opinion, another. And matters of free speech, yet another. Regarding matters of discernment, well, we humans are the only ones on earth who can utilize that brain feature. With anything, there is the matter of the heart, where our thoughts develop and are eventually spoken and maybe espoused. Then, there is the matter of discernment, what we do with that information and how we change and adapt.

Guardians of the Galaxy Director James Gunn is one of many in Hollywood and sports who have been exposed for sending offensive tweets. The first problem is, someone thought these tweets were okay to send. The next problem is, these tweets were sent. The final problem is, these tweets are often many years old. We need to have discernment about matters of the heart and whether the person matches the comment, today. The problem is, due process by law does not apply to thoughts and tweets in the world of public opinion, but we should all think twice before judging someone else, especially the companies who hire and fire, for discernment and employment-legal purposes.

The Other Side…

    By
    Julian Shipp
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    Brian Dawkins / Rob Carr (Getty Images)

    The Bold and the Dutiful: Defense wins NFL championships

    By
    Stephen Patrick
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    Jaguars Training Camp / Christian Petersen (Getty Images)

    Are you ready for some football? In the NFL, the story is, offense sales tickets and defense wins championships. Now that the NFL draft and free agency signings are complete, SportsRadioAmerica.com takes a look at the top defenses coming into the 2018 NFL season. 

    Minnesota Vikings 

    The Vikings ranked as the top defense in both yards allowed and scoring defense last season. Since Mike Zimmer took over, they’ve been in the top six in fewest points allowed for three, consecutive seasons. As the offensive game has opened up, the Vikings allowed only 13 touchdowns in the air last season. Their secondary features Pro Bowl talent at both cornerback and safety positions. Harrison Smith is the playmaker and led the team with five interceptions, while Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Terence Newman are tasked with not allowing wide receivers to breathe. The fear of getting sacked is also alive and well. Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter combined for 20 sacks. Both men had double-digit sacks over the past two years and are looking to make it three. 

    Jacksonville Jaguars 

    Jacksonville was a beast last year, ranking top 2 in total yards and scoring. They’re hurt by linebacker Paul Posluszny leaving, but they’re still loaded. Their growth after one, strong year together strengthens this unit. They arguably have the best corners in the game in Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. The Jaguars retained one of the strongest defensive units in the league. Also known as “Sacksonville” they wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. The Jaguars’ defense has the ability to win games even if the offense sputters. The swag and confidence of the defense lead them to the AFC Championship Game, where they put up a tough battle against New England. 

    Los Angeles Rams 

    This has more to do with the Rams’ off season moves than last year’s production. The Rams had an above average defense, but with cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib on board, their defensive swag is high. Ndamukong Suh will be paired with Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald. These four, big-name playmakers will push this defense into the top 10 in critical categories. The stars should push this unit to new levels. The Rams have the front and back ends of the defense covered with playmakers, which will minimize the question marks in the second level.  

    Pittsburgh Steelers 

    The Steelers brought pressure from everywhere. Cornerback Mike Hilton lead all cornerbacks with four sacks. Vince Williams put down the quarterback eight times, behind Cameron Heyward’s 12. The Steelers’ passing defense was weak at times, particularly when the QB failed to throw the ball. However, the Steelers can bring heat from all three levels. They finished number one in sacks in 2017 (56) and had top-10 finishes in yards and points allowed. Their passing defense will look different. Gone are Mike Mitchell, William Gay and Robert Golden. Rookie safety Terrell Edmunds has a chance to win a starting job and garner play-making ability, while Joe Haden will attempt to return to Pro Bowl form after a down season. 

    Top Sleepers of 2018 NFL Fantasy Drafts

    By
    J.T. Clifton
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    Joe Mixon / (AP photo)

    Last week in our three-part series, I told you a few players to mark off the big board and stay away from unless they’re later in the draft. This week, we‘re going to win the championship by picking the five biggest sleepers in this year’s draft. Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those fluffly articles that somehow calls Alvin Kamara or DeAandre Hopkins a sleeper. These are actual, late-round sleepers who could push you over the edge in those bye weeks or from injuries. 

    1. George Kittle (TE) 49ers – Kittle is 6’4” and had 515 yards as a rookie in 2017. He will benefit from a full season of Jimmy G. San Francisco doesn’t have a lot of big-name targets at the wide receiver position and 194 of his yards cameduringthe last three games of the season, including a six-catch, 100-yard performance against the Rams. Kittle started seven games last year and should start all 16 this year, barring injury.

      Michael Crabtree / (AP Photo)

      4.Michael Crabtree (WR) Ravens – Crabtree has always been a solid receiver,even on bad 49ers teams. He had his worst year ever last year with only 618 yards, but with a new team,appears he’s poised to have another solid year. Based on what? Based on the fact who else is Joe Flacco going to throw to? Is Breshad Perriman finally going to become a star? Doubtful. So, Crabtree will likely see a lot of targets simply because he’s the only proven receiver on the team. 

    1. Corey Davis (WR) Titans – Davis hasn’t had the most productive career yet and that’s partly because of injuriesandpartly because of the Titans’ struggling passing offense. Sometimes, I joke with my Titans fans friends, telling them they’re wasting Mariota by running Wing-T offense with him. That should change this year with a new offensive coaching staff. Davis should see more looks this year. 

      2. Joe Mixon (RB) Bengals – Mixon never took over asa full-time starter like he was projected in his rookie season last year, but he has shed weight and looks to be in much better shape to carry the load in 2018. Jeremy Hill isn’t there anymore to steal carries from the second year back. I don’t really see Giovani Bernard cutting into Mixon’s carries as much as last year, and Joe will see the all of the goal line touches, setting him up for plenty of touchdowns. 

    1. Eli Manning (QB) Giants – Manning isn’t whohe once was. He’s getting older and his arm doesn’t have the zip it used to. He does have weapons around him,though. The Giants drafted Saquon Barkley in the first round and that should take some pressure off him. Moreover, Barkley should help in the passing game. Manning will also have a healthy and happy O’Dell Beckham Jr after he gets his contract extension. Beckham, Barkley, Sterling Shephard and Evan Engram are a dangerous core. The Giants could be playing from behind a lot this year and that bodes well for fantasy stats, too. 

    Heir to the Throne: Georgia might finally oust the champs

    By
    J.T. Clifton
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    Jake Fromm / Photo Courtesy of: USATSI

    Georgia is building a dynasty at a rapid rate and it’s no surprise. Georgia is a hotbed for recruiting and Kirby Smart didn’t exactly inherit a mess from Mark Richt. They were already built to compete, but he’s done a few things that’s set them over the top and looks to position them for a championship run. 

    First, Georgia’s depth is absolutely outrageous. When a team loses two running backs in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, you’d think they’d have a fall-off. But, it doesn’t look that way for Georgia. Elijah Holyfield and D’Andre Swift will take over for Bradley Chubb and Sony Michel. Additionally, five-star recruit Zamir White could probably start for most teams in the country. 

    If running back isn’t a talented-enough position, look no farther than the guy handing those players the ball. Jake Fromm took Georgia to the championship game in his freshman year, forcing fellow quarterback Jacob Eason to transfer to Washington. Also forcing Eason to transfer is five-star quarterback Justin Fields, who might be more talented than Fromm when it comes to arm strength and athletic ability. 

    Finally, Georgia just might have the most talented group of receivers they’ve had in the last 15 to 20 years. Terry Godwin, Mecole Hardman Jr. and Riley Ridley are all impact players and have had success at the highest level. They also have a freakish athlete at tight end in Isaac Nauta, who could probably start for a few NFL teams this year. 

    Kirby Smart came in and instantly improved the defense and will look to improve on aggressiveness to force more tackles for loss. Deandre Baker and J.R. Reed will anchor the secondary and the Dawgs will look to youngsters to pressure the QB. One player Georgia will have to replace is Roquan Smith, who was potentially the best pass rusher in the draft. The duty could fall on the shoulders of talented sophomore Monty Rice.  

    The main reason Georgia can take down the mighty Tide is they are not afraid of them. They aren’t beat before the whistle blows. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with them and humbled them mentally. If it weren’t for a miracle heave by Tua Tagovailoa, the Bulldogs would now be displaying the College Football National Championship trophy.

    Netflix and Sports: The next disruption in media and entertainment

    By
    Jeremy Evans
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    Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said on several occasions Netflix will not enter the live sports content space. However, what we know about Netflix is that it is a powerhouse for content and its customers always want more content. While Hastings does not want to follow the broader business model of Amazon and sports-specific companies and streamers that broker sports distribution deals, will a time come when Netflix enters the live sports space or will the company let its competitors continue to take the lead and profits? 

    Netflix would be wise to compete in the sports space for three very important reasons. 

    First, entertainment content and talent are expensive and hard to create. As consumers continue to demand more content now and instantaneously available, the price goes up and gets pushed to the customer. That is a hard business model to sustain because ultimately, the price per customer rises to the level of cable. Without change, new business leaders will find a more efficient and cheaper way to reach consumers and consumers will follow those leaders. That means lost revenues for Netflix. Having live and “classic” replays on their platform provides for relief from creating and/or purchasing new film and television content with additional revenue opportunities (i.e., pre and post-game commercials and in-game sponsorships, essential where live sports is one of the few remaining types of content consumed in real time). Netflix should want those customers. 

    Second, ignoring live sports content ignores the opportunity to obtain pre-developed content Netflix only has to purchase and stream on its current or new “NetflixSPORTS” or “NetflixGAMES” platform. There is literally no development, production, etc., just purchase and stream. Netflix is also used to this model since the company purchases film and television content to stream on its platform that it does not develop as an original series or film. 

    Third, Netflix wants its customers to stay on its platform, so why risk having customers leave their platform to watch sports on a competitor’s over-the-top (OTT) streamer, etc. Having sports content keeps Netflix customers engaged and binging. 

    Assuming Netflix takes the plunge in sports content, here is how it might play out in the market place: 

    NetflixSPORTS/NetflixGAMES: “All Sports, No Commercials” ™ 

    Netflix could either have live content on its existing platform or add a second, sports-specific OTT, direct-to-consumer (DTC) distribution option, while keeping its customers engaged with its products. Netflix prides itself on having no commercials, and while baseball and other sports fans are tired of long commercial breaks, especially during nationally televised games, why not offer a “no-commercial,” NetflixSPORTS/NetflixGAMES-exclusive option that charges more for live sports without commercials? This would solve the length issues, plus consumers would pay more for no commercials. 

    OTT DTC streamers like Amazon, Hulu, YouTube TV and soon-to-be Apple and Disney already do this for film and television content, while subscription video on demand (SVOD) and advertising video on demand (AVOD) services offer premium and advertising content options for consumers. Sports are the obvious next choice to add to those platforms. Remember, it was not long ago that cable providers missed the boat by continuing in commercial-led business models for film and television content before being mowed over by the tech giants. Now, these same cable providers, along with studios and telecom giants, cannot buy each other fast enough to compete with the tech companies who started the industry disruption. 

    NetflixSPORTS could be the next best thing. 

    Hosting Other’s Sports Content  

    As mentioned previously, sports content is expensive, but there are no development costs. Honestly, Netflix and other streamers would be wise to jump on sports content before the professional sports franchises (e.g., the New York Yankees/YES Network) and the NCAA to some extent, get wise and start streaming content on their own platforms, thus cutting out the middle man. Netflix has already shown a willingness to jump into the games space with some industry confusion on where that might lead, so again, why not sports? 

    For costs, consider this; in Hollywood it takes about $100 million to make one movie, with some reaching into the billions. That is for one movie. Amazon just paid $65 million for an entire season of Thursday Night Football (TNF) games. As part of its two-year, $130 million deal, it receives 30 games. Now, the obvious argument against sports content is Netflix prefers to own original content versus licensing it and movies that last forever versus live sports content. However, this argument is shortsighted because sports are replayed constantly and of course, the viewing audiences are so large for live content, especially in the NFL; there is significant value Netflix is not tapping into. 

    For example, Hulu hosted the NHL playoffs and Google’s YouTube has the NBA Finals. In Major League Soccer, LAFC and the Seattle Sounders partnered with YouTube, too. Netflix would have the financial resources to purchase content and chose how to distribute it, monetize it and determine whether to develop it beyond a typical streaming deal. Amazon rolled the cost for its NFL TNF purchase into existing Prime accounts, while it was free to its Twitch members. Hulu was charging $40 per month for a multitude of sports content, including the NHL playoff games. YouTube TV is $35 a month. If Netflix purchased sports content and excluded commercials for a premium price, it would also increase viewership because again, sports fans will pay more to skip commercials. 

    Replays on NetflixSPORTS / NetflixGAMES is the Answer to YouTube without the Commercials and IP Infringement 

    As previously noted, Netflix could offer both commercial and non-commercial live sports options. Live sports are also a huge draw. No current provider anywhere offers commercial- free live sports. The same offer could apply to replays, think ESPN Classic. Furthermore, since Netflix is a closed subscription platform, no one posts content to the Netflix platform except Netflix. This means Netflix limits its liability by controlling its platform for distribution. Imagine being able to watch infringement and commercial-free live sports content on Netflix. Viewers have also shown an interest in watching their favorite team games when they want via a record-and-watch feature. Netflix could just as well have that feature and currently does with its library of entertainment content. 

    As the debate regarding net neutrality continues, Netflix can jump into that debate by offering consumers options for commercial and infringement-free live and replay sports content (albeit expensive) for the purpose of offering new and different material. Continuing to charge more for expensive-to-produce film and television content is risky. It makes more sense for them to diversify their assets. 

    Jonathan Perelman, Head of Digital Ventures at ICM Partners and former Vice President of Motion Pictures at BuzzFeed, famously said, “Content is king, but distribution is queen and she wears the pants. It’s not nearly enough to create a good piece of content. You have to understand how content spreads across the web.” Netflix and all streamers need to take the next plunge in distribution by competing for live and replay sports content that has the opportunity to be both commercial and infringement-free. 

    It is also possible to envision a traditional cable provider that owns or licenses sports content to partner with a sports team or league that distributes either exclusively, or as an add-on through a steamer, to drive down costs and mitigate risk while reaching more viewers. 

    Will NetflixSPORTS/NetflixGAMES, in both premium/exclusive and advertising options, be available soon? Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said no to date, but it is never a good idea to let competitors dominate a space or be at the head of change and disruption. 

    Like studios wanting to skip traditional distribution windows, schedules and models by going DTC for a premium price while fighting movie theaters and the Academy who argue the more traditional route is best, Netflix and streamers would be wise to buck tradition and give Queen Distribution the opportunity she has been looking for; All Sports, No Commercials streamed at your convenience for a lesser price than traditional cable. 

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