Despite joining Fox, Drew Brees will be able to keep his high-profile gig with Netflix this season after all.
According to Front Office Spots’ Michael McCarthy, Fox is allowing the future Hall of Fame quarterback to call one of the games comprising Netflix’s Christmas Day doubleheader. The news comes one week after the network hired Brees — who will make his debut as its No. 3 color commentator this weekend — effectively replacing Mark Sanchez following his termination after his October arrest.
While ESPN and Fox seemed more than willing to lend their talent to Netflix for its NFL debut last Christmas, that hasn’t been the case for the streamer’s holiday doubleheader encore. In September, Front Office Sports revealed that NBC’s Noah Eagle and Brees were set to call this year’s game featuring the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, while CBS’ Ian Eagle, Nate Burleson, and Matt Ryan will call the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders matchup.
That marked a departure from a year ago, when in addition to Netflix’s studio show featuring ESPN talents such as Mina Kimes and Laura Rutledge, Fox’s Greg Olsen was on the call alongside Noah Eagle for a game between the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens. While Fox Sports has reportedly since enacted a ban allowing its talent to appear on other networks — or in this case, a streamer — McCarthy says that it is grandfathering in Brees’ Netflix gig since it was announced prior to his hiring.
Brees’ return to broadcasting comes three years after his disastrous debut with NBC, where he was initially positioned as the heir apparent to Cris Collinsworth as the network’s top analyst. In recent months, the former New Orleans Saints star has expressed optimism for his outlook in the industry, previously telling FOS Today that he believes he could be “the absolute best at it, if given the opportunity.”
If the last two weeks are any indication, he’ll certainly get plenty of opportunities to prove that’s the case.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.