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Entertainment Content: Video, Audio, Gaming

Q1 2025

Quantified Consumer

Streaming Sports: The Fan Experience

The video services market’s transformation away from pay-TV to streaming has disrupted sports media. Sports fans have more ways than ever to engage with favorite teams and watch live matches out-of-market. At the same time, the fan experience is more fragmented as teams and leagues maximize revenue by selling rights to different matches across different streaming, broadcast, and pay-TV properties in the same season.

This study tracks the rise of sports streaming services and tests sports as a driver for uptake of general-purpose streaming services that own major sports rights packages. It investigates major paint points in the sports fan experience and quantifies consumer sports viewing behavior in and out of season. This study tests the appeal of new interactive fan experiences and consumers’ willingness to pay for conceptual sports streaming models.

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Video Services Ecosystem

Sports Viewer Segments

Executive Summary

Streaming is transforming sports broadcasting.

Penetration of Traditional vs. OTT Video Services

Method of Accessing Sports Video Content

US Internet Households that Subscribe to a D2C Sports Service

Top 5 Incentives to Retain D2C Sports Subscribers

Top 5 Pain Points in Sports Viewing

% of Sports Viewers Facing at Least One Challenge Watching Sports

% of Sports Viewers Subscribing to a General Streaming Service to Access Exclusive Sports

Sports Viewing Preferences by Age

Appeal of Interactive Sports Features

Key Video Market Trends

Penetration of Traditional vs. OTT Video Services

Adoption of vMVPD Service

Streaming TV and vMVPD Provider Market Share, YoY

Trends in Adoption of Leading SVOD Services

Average Number of SVOD Service Subscriptions

Trends in Monthly Spending on OTT Video Services

Use of Leading Free Ad-based Video Services

The Sports Viewer Base

Types of Video Content Typically Watched

Sports-Specific D2C Service Subscriptions Overall

Sports OTT Service Penetration

Sports Viewer Segments

Types of Sports Watched in Season

The Sports Viewing Experience

Frequency of Watching Sports Content, by Content Format

Sports Formats Viewed Weekly, by Age

Platforms to Watch Live Sports/Highlights

Platforms to Watch Live Sports/Highlights, by Age

Pain Points in Streaming Sports Content

Pain Point in Streaming Sports by Sports Viewer Segments

NPS of Online Sports Video Services

Primary Connected TV Platform by Sports Viewer Segments

Trends in Monthly Spending on OTT Video Services

Subscriber Acquisition & Retention

Drivers to Subscribe to Sports-Specific D2C Services

Streaming Sports Subscription Drivers by Major Sports OTT Services

Actions Taken When Sports Season Ends

Likelihood of Re-Subscribing to Sports Streaming Apps

Actions Taken When Sports Season Ends by Major Sports OTT Services

Likelihood of Re-Subscribing to Sports Streaming Apps by Major Sports OTT Services

Incentives to Retain Subscription During Off-Season

Incentives to Retain Subscription During Off-Season by Sports OTT Service Subscription

Subscription to Streaming Services or Purchase of Sports Pass Exclusively Services

Post-Season Actions Regarding Sports Streaming Subscriptions

Subscription to Streaming Services or Purchase of Sports Pass Exclusively Service by Leading SVOD Services

Concept Testing: Streaming Sports Models

Preferred Live Sports Streaming Package

Preferred Live Sports Streaming Package by Sports Viewer Segments

Preferred Live Sports Streaming Package by Sports Fans

Likelihood of Paying for Favorite Team’s All-Access Sports Package

Willing to Pay for Favorite Team’s All-Access Sports Package by Age of Personal Sports Viewers

Willing to Pay for Favorite Team’s All-Access Sports Package by Sports Fan

Interactive Sports Viewing & Betting

Engagement with Interactive Features While Watching Live Sports

Engagement with Interactive Features While Watching Live Sports by Age

Engagement with Interactive Features While Watching Live Sports, by Sports League/Genre

Appeal of Interactive Sports Features

Sports Betting While Watching Live by Sports Fan

Activities Engaged While Watching Live Sports by Sports Viewer Segments

Appeal of Interactive Sports Features, by Major League/Sport Services

Appendix

Demographic Breakdown of Sports Viewer Segments

Demographic Breakdown of Sports Viewer Segments – Major Sports

Demographic Breakdown of Sports Viewer – Secondary Sports

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