Netflix was trying to make a splash with their MLB Opening Night debut, but it left baseball fans at home feeling like they got soaked. And in response to the criticism, host Elle Duncan says the messages were heard loud and clear.
The streamer’s forays into the live sports world have focused on big events, whether they be Jake Paul fighting Mike Tyson or NFL games on Christmas Day. And to this point, there has been some good and some bad with the tech giant. Some events have had technical issues, others have had brilliant screen quality. Some broadcasts have been on point while others have leaned way too hard into cross-promotion and throwing everything at the wall in the hopes that something viral sticks.
But when it came to Netflix’s MLB debut, it misfired on multiple fronts.
The pregame show leaned way too far into promoting Netflix just as much as the baseball game, the scorebug was both too big and too small at the same time, and the biggest headline from the game broadcast was missing the first ABS challenge in MLB history. And at some point, we pray before the end of time itself, Netflix will realize that Bert Kreischer does not need to be on every single sports broadcast on their platform.
In an appearance on Pablo Torre Finds Out, Elle Duncan responded to the heavy criticism. And while she acknowledged constructive issues that can be fixed like too many ads and a scorebug that didn’t work, she also said that the streamer will continue to march to the beat of their own drum compared to traditional linear networks.
“This is like going to a Mexican restaurant and then b*tching that they don’t have barbecue.”
—@elleduncantv on the MLB Netflix backlash pic.twitter.com/fdR91Wj7uk
— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) April 3, 2026
“There is some feedback that’s constructive, right? Constructive feedback is too many promos,” Duncan said. “Message received as the person that was reading the promos, the shark one. Because it was like, ‘Bert Kreischer, out in the water, that sounds like the beginning of a shark movie, speaking of which.’ You know as a broadcaster whenever you have to say ‘speaking of which’ your segue was s—. So I tried so hard to make that work. So yes, message received. As soon as we got off air the Netflix brass was like, ‘probably too many promos, message received.’ Scorebug – real feedback. It was too small, whatever, that’s cool. All of that is real constructive criticism that is very fixable and will be fixed.”
It’s encouraging to know that Elle Duncan and Netflix executives recognized there were a few things that went wrong with the MLB broadcast that can be fixed for later in the year when the streamer returns for the Home Run Derby and Field of Dreams game.
However, where she did not back down was when it came to the DNA of Netflix “eventizing” live sports broadcasts and presenting them more towards casual fans than hardcore fans. Duncan framed it as a broadcast that used all the potential and power of Netflix’s assets while trying to attract fans of Love is Blind or other shows on the channel because they know hardcore baseball fans will watch regardless.
“But whenever there is criticism I saw of like ‘it was just so Netflix, it was not for baseball purists,’ well first of all, I come from a baseball purist mother who will watch 162 Braves games this year. She would have watched Opening Day if you would have broadcasted on the f—ing moon. This was not for baseball purists. You watch it anyway. This was for the baseball curious. And we told you that coming in,” Duncan stated.
“In fact, a lot of what Netflix is doing in the sports world is yes, for the people who are always going to watch those sports, but also for the people that maybe tuned in to watch Love is Blind, saw the button for Opening Day on Netflix, and thought ‘alright I’ll check it out.’ Listen, this is like going to a Mexican restaurant and then bitching that they don’t have barbecue. They advertise as a Mexican restaurant! It’s your fault that you somehow thought they were somehow going to serve barbecue there. Netflix has made no qualms about who they are. We’re going to eventize these things, we’re going to pull people from the Netflix universe, that’s what we’re going to do.”
The major issue here is that it doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition, it can truly be a both-and. There is a way for Netflix or any broadcaster to reach more casual fans in a broadcast without completely alienating the loyal fans that they expect to subscribe and pay the bills. That’s where Netflix has to realize that they swung way too far in the casual-eventized-Netflixy direction with Bert Kreischer screaming on the field and endless ads.
After all, it’s the baseball fans that Netflix is trying to attract to their platform and stick around without rolling off after a month, not the ones already subscribed for Love is Blind, comedy specials, WWE Raw, or anything else. And if Netflix turned off those baseball fans to the degree where they won’t be back for the Home Run Derby or Field of Dreams game, then that’s a real problem.
It’s all about finding the right balance. Hopefully Netflix can find that balance later on this baseball season.
About Matt Yoder