Netflix to stream NFL recap show Inside the NFL as playoffs heat up

Chad Johnson and Ryan Clark on Inside the NFL
Chad Johnson and Ryan Clark on Inside the NFL (Image credit: RE Films/NFL Films)

With so many streaming services wanting to hitch their wagons to the behemoth that is the NFL, Netflix is joining that movement by announcing it is going to stream Inside the NFL, a weekly recap show that gives fans unseen looks and in-depth analysis on the most recent games. The timing couldn't be better, as Inside the NFL makes its Netflix premiere on Wednesday, January 17, just as the NFL playoffs are heating up.

Inside the NFL traditionally airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT on CW during the NFL season. An NFL Films production, the show provides a cinematic look to game action, including unseen angles and unfiltered mic'd up moments, of the most recent set of games. The games are also then analyzed by former Super Bowl champions Ryan Clark and Chris Long, as well as former players Channing Crowder, Chad Johnson and Jay Cutler.

Netflix subscribers are going to be able to watch the latest episode of Inside the NFL, which aired on Tuesday, January 16, and covered the NFL Wild Card round games that took place between January 13-15, starting at 3 pm ET/noon PT on January 17. New episodes of Inside the NFL will premiere on Netflix at that same time all the way through Super Bowl LVIII. Of course you will need a Netflix subscription to watch.

This is not Netflix's first foray into the NFL. In the summer of 2023 the streaming service premiered Quarterback, which gave behind-the-scenes access (both on and off the field) to three NFL quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota — for the 2022-2023 season. Quarterback season 2 is expected at Netflix, though details on who is to be featured and when it may premiere are unknown at this time.

The streaming service has been adding more sports content to boost its offerings to subscribers, including other behind-the-scenes series like Drive to Survive, Full Swing, Break Point and more. It also aired its first ever live sporting event, the Netflix Cup, back in November 2023.

Netflix isn't the only streaming service to be trying to capitalize on the popularity of sports, and specifically the NFL. Max streams Hard Knocks and Hard Knocks: In Season, which give fans a look at how NFL teams prepare for their seasons and weekly games. Paramount Plus, Peacock and Prime Video, meanwhile, stream live NFL games during the season; in some cases exclusive games, like Prime Video's Thursday Night Football and Peacock's exclusive broadcast of the Dolphins vs Chiefs playoff game.

Stream Inside the NFL on Netflix Wednesdays at 3 pm ET/noon PT. If you want to watch the show live on broadcast TV, CW airs it weekly on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/PT.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.