The NFL will make history when the San Francisco 49ers face the Los Angeles Rams in Australia’s first regular-season NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET.
Fans can watch the matchup live on Netflix, and the streaming site has already kicked off its promotion featuring influencers Alix Earle and Ashtin Earle.
However, the direction of the campaign did not sit well with a large section of NFL fans.
Fans Call Out Netflix for Controversial Rams-49ers Ad Featuring Alix Earle
The streaming giant linked the campaign to the premiere of its “Earle Meets World” reality series while promoting its coverage of the 49ers and Rams in Melbourne.
The ad features both influencers wearing team jerseys and helmets as former NFL player Isaac Rochell coaches them through football drills.
Instead of focusing heavily on the game, though, the sisters turn toward social media, TikTok, Reels, and Netflix. As a result, the influencer-focused concept quickly drew skeptical reactions from viewers.
Alix and Ashtin Earle are ready for NFL Netflix Gameday. Are you?
✨ Earle Meets World premieres this Friday
🏈 49ers vs. Rams in Melbourne. LIVE on Netflix September 10 at 8:30 PM ET. pic.twitter.com/qJC8L7blNu— Netflix (@netflix) September 2, 2026
Veteran sportscaster Linda Cohn questioned the wisdom behind Netflix’s creative direction. The former SportsCenter anchor shared her blunt reaction on X, writing, “Is this ad supposed to get more women to watch the NFL?”
Is this ad supposed to get more women to watch the NFL? https://t.co/KSRROY7Vfu
— Linda Cohn (@lindacohn) September 3, 2026
One fan took the criticism even further, accusing Netflix of using a disrespectful approach toward women.
“This is incredibly misogynistic, Netflix. It ridicules and infantilizes women. Thousands of women watch the NFL because we genuinely enjoy the sport. Period,” the fan wrote.
This is incredibly misogynistic @netflix. It ridicules and infantilizes women. Thousands of women watch the NFL because we genuinely enjoy the sport. Period.
— Swiftie Mexicana 🇲🇽 (@LaTayMexicana) September 4, 2026
Another fan also questioned the thinking behind the campaign, asking, “Honestly… who thought this was a good idea?”
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A frustrated fan commented, “So we’re just openly being misogynistic now, huh? Netflix doesn’t have anything good on it anymore, so this is a good reminder to cancel my subscription!”
“Genuinely gonna cancel my subscription over this stupid ad; Netflix is trash,” added another.
“Football is the No. 1 sport among women in the U.S., and we keep growing,” NFL senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing Marissa Solis told USA Today last year. “I mean 68% of all women and girls in the U.S. are fans of the league.”
Pop culture moments, such as Taylor Swift attending NFL games, helped draw more young women to football. Still, the league says that interest existed before those developments.
In October 2025, NFL Women’s Forum creator Sam Rapoport told Variety, “The future is female. I think the future is balanced.” Variety also cited a 2025 SSRS Sports Poll showing that women represent 40% of the league’s international growth.
With that in mind, fans felt the Netflix ad portrayed female viewers in an unfair light.
One fan explained the frustration directly, writing, “The NFL knows football fans will watch no matter what, and therefore they can go after any other audience without losing any of their base. Hence this, and the game being in Australia. Also, it is being broadcast on Netflix. Sad.”
The NFL knows football fans will watch no matter what and therefore they can go after any other audience without losing any of their base. Hence this and the game being in Australia. Also it being broadcasted on Netflix. Sad
— C.B. Cooper (@RedZoneRepublic) September 2, 2026
Now, with buzz around the 49ers-Rams matchup, Netflix faces a simple question. Will it rethink its promotional strategy after the backlash or continue with the same approach?
