So Riegg and Bela Bajaria, another longtime TV executive who joined Netflix around the same time and is now its chief content officer, began making the case around Netflix for why it should invest in the tech required to make live content work.

Netflix will air two marquee NFL events on Christmas Day, a key test of its technological ability as it doubles down on live event programming.

Football is the sport that keeps on giving with two NFL games slated for Christmas Day, which include start studded performances by Beyoncé, Mariah Carey and Pentatonix, who will sing the national anthem.