2025 global sports industry outlook

What’s next for sports and streaming?

The shift to streaming for live sports coverage is no longer in the future—it’s here. Major streaming video-on-demand (SVOD) providers won some of the biggest sports media deals that were up for grabs in recent years.¹ So, what’s next for sports and streaming? For SVOD providers who’ve done their reps, we expect maturation and innovation in their integrations, technology, and content. New sports-focused SVOD services are also coming online to shake up the status quo.² Where does that leave the industry and the fans?
The continued expansion of the sports streaming market contributes to further fragmentation of the landscape for fans, and it can make discoverability difficult and increase fans’ costs. Consumer frustration is already apparent: Thirty-five percent of consumers in our Digital Media Trends (fall 2024) survey say they need to subscribe to too many services to watch all the events they want to watch.¹³ There have been some efforts in the industry to address this growing fragmentation, including the launch of Eurovision Sport (which aims to bundle rights from 100 different member networks into one single registration and login) and an ESPN-backed “Where to Watch” feature that guides fans to live sports broadcasts.¹⁴ But fragmentation is a persistent concern that should be addressed in order to lock in consumer attention.
Not to mention that streaming providers are also up against social media platforms, where content feeds are algorithmically tuned to a user’s interests, access is free of charge, and near-instant sports highlights are everywhere. More than 90% of Gen Z and millennial fans surveyed say they use social media to consume sports-related content, including game clips and highlights, live sporting events, and sports news and commentary.¹⁵ Convincing younger fans—and future generations of fans—to commit to a paid SVOD service that adds to their costs and makes discovering live sports difficult may pose a challenge for leagues, teams, and sports streamers to face head-on.
Tech upgrades aside, more ancillary sports content may be on the way, including alternative sports telecasts (“altcasts”) and original content. Some sports broadcasters and streamers have already seen success with the altcast format, from ESPN’s “ManningCast” on Monday Night Football, to Amazon Prime Video’s Next Gen Stats feed on Thursday Night Football.⁸ Paramount+ is teeing up its own altcast featuring David Beckham for the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions League coverage.⁹ Additionally, more original (or “shoulder”) content may be produced in an attempt to secure yearlong subscribers and to reach new fans. Developing docuseries, documentaries, live talk shows, or reality-style TV shows that feature sports teams, athletes, or their families—though often expensive and time-consuming to produce—may be a way to not only engage fans in the offseason but create a whole new generation of fans.¹⁰ And consumers, especially younger ones, are interested in this behind-the-scenes view: Forty percent of Gen Zs and millennials surveyed say they’d like more documentary-style content about sports and players in the offseason, according to our latest Digital Media Trends data.¹¹
For providers who’ve been in the sports broadcasting game for consecutive seasons, we expect to see a focus on delivering new experiences that further engage fans, monetize content, and improve viewing quality. Immersive, real-time integrations like in-gaming betting, seamless merchandising capabilities, and social experiences are likely to become a reality.³ Improving the advertising experience will likely also be top of mind for live event streamers (who are in a unique position to grab large audiences concurrently) as they look to grow their ad revenues and secure lucrative partnerships.⁴ Behind the scenes, providers will work with their technology partners to improve broadcast quality and reliability⁵—which remains a challenge for some.⁶ Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology could lend a hand in personalizing fan content feeds, serving up relevant advertising to fan groups, and providing direct (and instant) customer support.⁷
As leagues, teams, and mega-events partner with streaming providers for media rights, they should aim to strike a balance between reaching a wide and global base of new subscribers and maintaining accessibility and affordability for existing and next-gen fans.
Competition is also expected to heat up as new sports-focused streaming services—including ESPN Flagship and All Women’s Sport Network (AWSN)—plan their moves into the market. Emerging leagues, teams, or mega-events will likely also be searching for media partners. And when new sports rights are up for grabs, instead of having those rights broken up across broadcast, cable, and streaming providers (as many are now), we expect that some deals could land exclusively with streaming services. It’s also likely that providers will get creative about how to monetize, deliver, and market the live sports rights they have, like offering single-game pricing options.¹²
Strategic questions to consider

• How can SVOD providers use sports content strategically to help build loyalty and boost retention among their subscribers and keep them from churning?
• Can sports leagues and teams find a balance among monetizing their business, maximizing sports rights payouts and the best interests of the fans they serve (and the fans of the future)?
• How can leagues and teams use streaming video and social media platforms—and the content on them—to pique the interest of new fans and fuel that budding fandom?