FIFA moving to Netflix exclusively is one of those announcements that sounds exciting at first, but raises more questions the longer you think about it. On paper, it makes sense: Netflix gets a globally recognized brand, and FIFA taps into a massive audience that already lives on streaming platforms. But when you look past the headline, the move feels a lot more complicated than it initially appears.
FIFA has always thrived on accessibility. For years, it’s been easy to buy, easy to play, and available almost everywhere games are sold. Locking the franchise behind a single subscription service changes that dynamic entirely. Netflix might have reach, but it’s not a gaming-first platform, and that shift could affect how players discover, engage with, and stick to the series long term. The part that concerns me the most is:
“This game will be available on select TVs in certain countries, with plans to roll out further over time.”
There’s so many questions about just that one sentence. What countries? There’s always a chance you’re in a country that never gets it. How long do we need to wait?
There’s also the question of expectations. Netflix has experimented with games before, mostly on mobile, and while some of those efforts were interesting, none have truly felt essential. FIFA, on the other hand, is a yearly ritual for millions of players. Moving it into a space that’s still figuring out what “Netflix gaming” actually means is a risk.
This doesn’t mean the move is doomed. If done right, Netflix could lower the barrier to entry, bring in new players, and rethink how sports games are distributed. But if it limits platforms, fragments the player base, or treats FIFA as just another content tile, the long-term impact could be rough.
So is it a good move? We don’t know. Is it a safe one? Not really. For now, all we can hope is that they do it right for the fans.
Pavle is the founder of PlayForge and its lead writer and reviewer, covering PC, PS5, and mobile games, a with a focus on RPGs, MMOs, FPS games, and more. He’s been gaming since the PS2 days and now writes in-depth reviews and guides to help players find their next obsession and get gaming insights from real players, not just critics. His reviews are honest and transparent, but he always tries to stay positive, because in his opinion, almost any game can be fun if you look at it the right way.
In his free time, he likes to (obviously) play more games, spend time with his family, theorycraft about various media with his wife, and watch anime. So yes, he’s a complete nerd, even if he’ll never admit it.