By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Netflix has struck a deal with Barstool Sports to bring three of its biggest video podcasts to the platform in the US from early 2026, further accelerating the streamer’s push into creator-led sports conversation rather than live rights.
The agreement will see video versions of Pardon My Take, The Ryen Russillo Podcast and Spittin’ Chiclets air on Netflix, while audio versions remain widely available across existing podcast platforms.
The deal includes all new episodes plus selected back-catalogue content, giving Netflix a steady pipeline of sports-adjacent programming without the volatility or cost of live rights.
This follows similar Netflix partnerships with The Ringer and iHeartMedia, reinforcing a clear strategy of aggregating proven, creator-first formats that already command loyal audiences elsewhere.
Barstool, whose shows are built around personality, humour and cultural relevance rather than match footage, offers Netflix highly repeatable content that aligns with how younger fans already consume sport.
Why It Matters:
As Jo Redfern (founder of Futrhood and co-host of the Sports Pundit Podcast) commented, “buying sports conversation is cheaper and scales better than buying sports rights.”
That framing gets to the heart of Netflix’s strategy. Video podcasts cost a fraction of what premium leagues demand, yet deliver frequent, culturally relevant content that social-first sports fans already value.
Coming from kids media, Redfern knows better than most how Netflix has previously backed creator formats after they proved themselves on YouTube (See: Cocomelon, Ms Rachel, The Amazing Digital Circus).
The bet here is that for a growing segment of fans, Barstool’s take on last night’s game is more habit-forming than the game itself. In a world where live viewing outside tentpole events is softening, owning the conversation around sport may prove to be a smarter retention lever than owning the rights directly to the action.
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