Fans Open to Sports on Streaming, But Platforms Have to Make Things Easier
Fans Open to Sports on Streaming, But Platforms Have to Make Things Easier
A new survey from Hub Research shows sports fans still think broadcast/cable channels do a better job of delivering sports than top streamers.
As cord-cutting continues to eat into cable and broadcast TV audiences, sports leagues are increasingly willing to show their biggest games on streaming services. Prime Video will take over as an NBA broadcaster in 2025, and also recently acquired the rights to a package of Monday night NHL games in Canada. Netflix will stream live NFL games for the first time in 2024, and the list goes on. A new survey from Hub Research highlights how excited fans are to be able to access sports via streaming, but also shows that broadcast and cable channels aren’t going away as top sources for sports content.
Key Details:
- Hub found that 24% of respondents said broadcast and cable channels do the best job of providing live sports, more than any single streamer.
- Seventy-three percent of viewers who say they have technical issues while streaming sports are still excited for expanded access.
- Almost 60% say that watching sports has gotten more confusing lately.
The data from Hub shows that while streaming services have become popular options for watching live sports, cable and broadcast channels are still trusted more than any single streamer. Its survey found that 24% of respondents chose broadcast/cable channels as the best source for live sports, though it should be pointed out that 59% of participants did pick one streaming service or another. Prime Video was the most-chosen streamer, with 11% of viewers surveyed identifying it as the best way to watch sports.
Hub’s numbers also pinpoint why broadcast and cable channels get selected as the best option by a plurality of respondents. Technical issues play a big part in this; the data shows that 37% of avid sports fans say they regularly have some sort of tech problem when streaming sports, such as a buffering delay or an app crashing.
Despite these problems, however, most viewers say they’re still excited to find more sports on streaming services in general. A full 73% of respondents who say they experience problems regularly are glad more sports are making their way to streamers, and 68% of those who don’t have frequent issues while streaming sports agree.
Streaming customers know that providing live events is more difficult than distributing on-demand content for platforms, and Hub’s data shows that most are willing to give streamers a bit of leeway as they continue to figure out the technology required for providing live sports. Prime Video is continuing to work hard on reducing the delay between action on the field or in the arena and when viewers see that action on their screens.
Are Sports Getting Harder to Find?
The Hub survey also shows that fans are having a harder and harder time finding the games they want to see most, as sports leagues continue to break up their games into smaller packages to sell to more outlets. This allows leagues to collect more revenue for their broadcast rights, but it leaves fans frustrated as they try to seek out their favorite team on a given day.
The survey shows that 69% of respondents think it’s a hassle to have to use multiple streaming services to watch games, which is a big reason the cable bundle will continue to hang on in the years to come. Cable and live TV streaming plans usually house a big selection of sports channels, which makes it easier for fans to watch their favorite sports teams all in one place.
The data also shows that 59% of participants think finding sports they want to watch has gotten more confusing lately, which seems to suggest that ESPN chose the perfect time to launch its expanded “Where to Watch” feature. This guide lets viewers see where to watch or stream top sporting events from across the globe, even if they are not airing on an ESPN platform.
The future of sports broadcasts increasingly points to streaming, especially as it becomes more difficult for cablers to retain customers. But Hub’s survey shows that streamers can still do a better job of aggregating content and cutting down on technical problems, which will bring them even more enthusiastic audiences.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.