Netflix is launching its first original sports podcast, and it’s going with Michael Irvin.
The White House with Michael Irvin debuts Jan. 19 with two episodes per week. Brandon Marshall will co-host and produce. The two worked together during Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL broadcasts last month, where Irvin was at a desk analyst alongside Devin McCourty and Austin Ekeler, with Kay Adams hosting. Marshall handled the second game with Jamie Erdahl and Manti Te’o.
“I am excited about this new venture with Netflix and the opportunity to blend elements of traditional television with the evolving world of podcasting,” Irvin shared with Netflix’s Tudum. “This project allows us to take what worked in the old format and reimagine it for today’s audience.”
The White House with Michael Irvin, a new original sports video podcast, is coming to Netflix in The US on January 19.
It will tackle current sports news, game analysis, and commentary with two episodes a week, featuring a rotating roster of co-hosts, including former NFL… pic.twitter.com/Fe3HvVgm9A
— Netflix (@netflix) January 14, 2026
The name comes from the legendary party house near the Cowboys’ practice facility during the 1990s dynasty. Irvin called himself “the president of the White House” in Netflix’s “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys” docuseries. The house became infamous for the parties that happened there during Dallas’ Super Bowl years. Irvin described it as “a safe place for camaraderie,” which is certainly one way to put it.
“We chose the name The White House intentionally,” Irvin contiuned “In a crowded media landscape, recognition matters — and few names carry the same immediate weight. For better or worse, The White House represents power, decision-making, and cultural relevance.”
Netflix has been aggressively snapping up sports podcasts over the last six weeks. The service landed an eight-figure annual deal with Barstool Sports to bring Pardon My Take, Spittin’ Chiclets, and The Ryen Russillo Show to the platform. It partnered with Spotify to add several Ringer podcasts, including The Bill Simmons Podcast and The Zach Lowe Show. Simmons’ show now streams live on Netflix every Sunday at 11:30 p.m. ET.
All of those were established shows that already had audiences. The White House is different. Netflix is creating something from scratch specifically for its platform. That’s riskier because there’s no proven audience, but it gives Netflix more control over what the show becomes.
The bet is that Irvin and Marshall can build something that works for Netflix subscribers. Irvin is a Hall of Famer who won three Super Bowls and remains one of the more entertaining personalities in sports media. Marshall is a six-time Pro Bowler who’s developed into a solid analyst since retiring. The White House name will generate curiosity because of the Cowboys’ mystique and Irvin’s willingness to talk about that era.
But the larger question is whether Netflix can actually build an audience for sports podcasts behind a paywall. YouTube’s algorithm and zero-cost model helped build shows like Pardon My Take into what they are today. Netflix has nearly 90 million subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, but asking people to pay $15 a month to watch podcasts they used to get for free is a different proposition.
Netflix’s strategy so far has been to acquire established shows with built-in audiences. Pardon My Take moved from YouTube in January. Video episodes are now exclusively on Netflix, though the audio versions remain free on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The Ringer’s shows work the same way. That approach makes sense because those podcasts already have millions of listeners who might follow them to Netflix.
Creating an original show is harder. There’s no existing audience. The bet is that Irvin and Marshall can create something people want to watch. Some popular podcasts have reportedly declined Netflix’s offers, including All the Smoke with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, which turned down a couple of million dollars to stay on YouTube. That suggests not everyone thinks Netflix’s model works yet.
The White House will test whether Netflix can create sports podcast content that resonates or if the platform works better as a home for shows that already exist. Two episodes per week, starting Jan. 19, should provide an answer pretty quickly.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.