Soccer Gaining in Popularity Among US Streaming Customers; Which Services Are Best for Watching Soccer?
Are you one of the millions of global fans who flocked to a screen over the weekend to watch the start of the English Premier League soccer season? If you’re living in the United States and answered yes, you’re part of a large and growing community of soccer fans who are more than willing to turn to streaming to watch the beautiful game.
That’s according to data from the London-based media analytics firm Ampere Analysis, which shows that almost 20% of Americans now identify soccer as their favorite sport. There are more women who identify themselves as avid soccer fans in the U.S. than in Europe (37% vs. 31%), and soccer broadcasting rights domestically are now worth over $1.3 billion, three times what they were worth in 2015.
Ampere’s data also shows that soccer fans are more likely to be affluent, with 43% making more than $100,000 per year. These fans are willing to spend to see live matches, too; 73% of U.S.-based fans of the EPL and UEFA Champions League say they’d pay extra to watch matches from those competitions. Nearly half of American soccer fans say they only watch the game via streaming, and 54% say they are most likely to watch soccer on a screen other than their main TV set.
Interestingly, most domestic soccer fans are more interested in watching European competitions. U.S. fans most enjoy the FIFA World Cup, followed by the EPL and then the UEFA Champions League. Only 20% say they follow Major League Soccer regularly, though that number will certainly rise thanks to the addition of Lionel Messi by Inter Miami. Subscriptions to the MLS-dedicated streaming platform MLS Season Pass have doubled since Messi's debut with the club.
“Understanding the consumption habits of US soccer fans is crucial for the broadcasters who want to curate and build appealing content around this behavior,” said Sam Nursall, Research Analyst at Ampere. “There’s a really strong opportunity here to combine the best of traditional broadcast with the capabilities of streaming services and social media to meet the appetite of these passionate fans. Ampere also believes that the challenges of piracy to avoid paying fees can be addressed through multi-league bundles to bring soccer fans all the content they can consume.”
What Are the Best Streaming Services for Watching Soccer in the United States
Until a multi-league bundle along the lines of Ampere’s suggestion becomes a reality, there are still several ways for U.S. customers to stream top soccer competitions without a cable or satellite subscription.
Peacock
For the English Premier League, fans will want a subscription to Peacock. The service doesn’t carry every EPL game, but it does offer a wide selection of contests throughout the season. Peacock even debuted an alternative stream of EPL games in April which offers real-time statistics about players, a movement tracker, analytics and more. A subscription to Peacock’s Premium tier is $5.99 per month.
Paramount+
Paramount+ also has plans starting at $5.99 per month, and it offers a wide selection of European soccer. The UEFA Champions League and Europa League are the headliners for this service, but it also carries matches from Italy’s highest level of competition Serie A. The service also carries the Golazo Network, a free streaming channel dedicated to the beautiful game which launched earlier this year and features live matches, as well as highlights and analysis.
MLS Season Pass
If you’re caught up in the Messi hype train, you’ll want to opt for a subscription to MLS Season Pass. The service is $14.99 per month, or fans can pay $49.99 to watch until the conclusion of the season in October. It offers every match in English and Spanish, plus games involving Canadian teams have commentary in French. Apple has also launched a multiview feature that allows users to watch up to four games simultaneously on one screen.