NFL fans tuning into the league's 2026 season kickoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers in Australia lodged complaints about the audio quality on Netflix's stream. The international matchup, streamed live by the platform on Thursday, was met with a barrage of criticism from viewers who described the sound as muted, delayed, and difficult to understand.
Social media platforms were flooded with comments from disgruntled fans. One user on X, formerly Twitter, @BigGreek77, stated, "@netflix the audio on the game sucks. Does anyone else have this problem. Just sounds like I’m watching an old school video game." Another viewer, @HoodiGarland, described the audio and video quality as "genuinely dogs—t bro."
Similar sentiments were echoed by others. Harrison Carroll (@HCarroll_11) compared the crowd noise to "the tornado scene from The Wizard of Oz," while Bryan Galvan (@BryanGStampede) reported that "Everything sounds delayed and it’s almost unwatchable." Another fan, Big Poodle, humorously likened the audio to "your homie called from a game and you can hear the crowd cheering in the background from his phone." Matt Katt noted that "the audio mix is the worst I’ve ever heard," criticizing both the announcers' presence and the field audio.
The issues were not limited to the audio. Some viewers also commented on the pre-game broadcast, with ESPN analyst Elle Duncan's outfit drawing attention and comments from fans on X. She was seen wearing a sleeveless tuxedo top and black gloves, which some users likened to a bank robber or a WWE promo.
This game in Melbourne marked the first of five NFL regular-season games scheduled to be streamed on Netflix during the 2026 season. The streaming service is set to broadcast additional games, including the Green Bay Packers vs. the Rams on November 25, two games on Christmas Day between the Chicago Bears and Packers, and the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills, and a final game on January 9, 2027, with opponents yet to be determined.
Quentin Lake of the Rams tackles Mike Evans of the 49ers during the 2026 NFL Melbourne Game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.