When ESPN acquired NFL Network, NFL Fantasy, and the cable/satellite rights for NFL RedZone in January, many speculated about the future of key sports media figures. High-profile personalities like Ian Rapaport and Kyle Brandt retained their positions, but others, including Tom Pelissero, Ryan Clark, Charles Davis, Stephania Bell, Damien Woody, Cam Newton, and Bart Scott, were laid off in ESPN’s recent round of job cuts.
Despite this setback, Tom Pelissero swiftly found a new role just as the football season nears. Netflix announced on X that, “Tom Pelissero is joining Netflix Gameday as a sideline reporter and NFL insider for the full slate of games this season, starting with 49ers vs. Rams in Week 1 from Melbourne.”
Besides his sideline duties, Pelissero will co-host ‘The Ringer NFL Show’ and contribute to The Ringer’s NFL podcasts, including a weekly spot on ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast.’ The Ringer’s video podcasts will be available on Netflix.
“With Netflix aiming to position itself as a significant player in live sports streaming, acquiring a former top NFL insider like Pelissero is a major advantage,” said a company spokesperson.
Netflix plans to stream five NFL regular-season games in 2026 to its 325 million paid subscribers. The streaming service is actively working to expand its catalog to become a prime destination for professional sports enthusiasts.
The full 2026 Netflix NFL schedule is as follows:
- Week 1: Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, 8:35 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 10
- Week 12: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams, Thanksgiving Eve, 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday, Nov. 25
- Week 16: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET, Christmas Day Doubleheader, Friday, Dec. 25
- Week 16: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, 4:30 p.m. ET, Christmas Day Doubleheader, Friday, Dec. 25
- Week 18: TBD regular-season finale, 1 p.m. ET, Saturday, Jan. 9