Sports + Streaming = Staggering Surges
Rapid Growth in Content Volume
Live sports are increasingly moving from traditional broadcast to digital platforms, leading to a massive spike in available content:
· Subscription Services (SVOD): Sports programming on five major global platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+, and Disney+) has increased by 52% since January 2024.
· FAST Channels: Free ad-supported streaming TV channels have seen a 30% growth in sports programming worldwide during the same period.
· Platform Leader: Paramount+ has seen a staggering 219% year-over-year surge in sports offerings, largely driven by securing rights to events like UFC matches.
Shifting Viewer Behavior
Viewers are following sports to CTV at a higher rate than traditional TV:
· CTV Preference: According to research by The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio, 27% of Americans report watching more live sports via CTV, while only 18% say the same for traditional TV.
· Event Migration: Marquee events—including the Super Bowl and the Olympics—are serving as "tentpoles" that draw large audiences into the streaming ecosystem who might have previously stayed with cable.
Increased Advertising Impact
Sports content is proving to be a highly effective vehicle for advertisers on streaming platforms:
· Brand Noticeability: 56% of Americans say they are more likely to notice brands that advertise during sports programming compared to other content types.
· Revenue Growth: Ad-supported streaming revenue in the U.S. grew nearly 61% in 2025, significantly outpacing the 13% growth of ad-free subscription revenue.
· Ad-Tier Adoption: As consumers migrate to cheaper, ad-supported tiers to access sports, every major streamer with an ad plan is projected to derive at least 10% (and in some cases over 20%) of their total revenue from advertising.
Live sports have become a main determinate that is driving both the transition of viewers from linear TV to CTV and providing a high-engagement environment that is fueling a massive increase in ad-supported streaming revenue for both Supply Side Platforms (SSP) as well as Demand Side Platforms (DSP).
