Netflix doccie boosts American football fanbase.
The Dallas Cowboys play on the opening day of the US National Football League’s 2025 season, which kicks off this week.
The most valuable sports franchise in the world will be drawing millions more TV viewers around the world than usual to its games, thanks to an acclaimed new Netflix documentary called America’s Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys.
This show has been praised for its warts-and-all view of a sporting team and its crazy characters – unlike the slavish praise singing of most sports doccies.
The NFL is one of the biggest betting contests in the world, with Americans expected to punt $30-billion on it this season. And more fans for the game internationally, via the Cowboys, will grow betting volumes everywhere.
The Cowboys will probably not win on Friday, though. They are playing against defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Betway makes the Eagles 1.21 favourites, with the Texan outfit adrift at 3.80.
In terms of the eventual NFL winners – at the 60th Superbowl in February 2026 – the Baltimore Ravens are 7.60 favourites, with the Buffalo Bills next at 7.80 and the Eagles at 8.00.
Last season’s beaten finalists, and two-time winners before that, the Kansas City Chiefs – of Travis Kelce fame – are at 9.50, with the Detroit Lions at 13.20 and the Green Bay Packers at 13.50. Cowboys? 65.00.
Yahoo Sports agrees that the Baltimore Ravens are favourites, while an ESPN pundit picks the Buffalo Bills and the New York Times tips the Green Bat Packers.
A massive 32 teams are in the competition, split into eight divisions and two conferences. The top two teams in each division go playoffs, leading to the Superbowl.
The betting menu is mind-bogglingly long, with enough niches to satisfy the most nerdish of fans.
Other games on the first weekend include Chiefs (1.52) versus LA Chargers (2.30), Washington Commanders [formerly Redskins] versus New York Giants (2.90) and New Orleans Saints “the worst team in football” versus Arizona Cardinals (1.30).
All Betway odds correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
