Grabbing popcorn and tuning into your favorite sports channel or trusting the live sports watch-along gifts us some of the most memorable moments. However, recent activities of OTT platforms are probably planning to put a stop to it.
Most global OTT platforms are not pushing the sports narrative. Even hardcore streaming platforms that barely looked towards sports are now diving deep into the world of sports.
Amazon’s $1 billion deal to stream Thursday Night Football is reshaping U.S. internet usage, constituting 25% of traffic on Thursday nights, according to Comcast President Mike Cavanagh. This shift has moved peak data usage from Sunday to Thursday.
While sports traditionally anchored pay TV, the streaming trend is accelerating, prompting media companies with sports rights to embrace streaming, recognizing their audience’s migration. Analyst Brad Adgate observes a pivotal moment where leagues and broadcasters acknowledge their audience’s digital shift.
Disney CEO Bob Iger is steering ESPN towards digital dominance, with ESPN+ boasting 26 million subscribers. Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max platform now offers live sports streaming, featuring MLB playoffs and NBA/NHL games. Paramount+ and Peacock highlight streaming sports as major subscriber draws.
Peacock President Kelly Campbell emphasizes sports as a core value proposition, citing hosting 51 live sporting events in one September weekend, spanning NFL, Premier League, and Big Ten games. Streaming platforms are prioritizing sports for audience engagement and growth.
Paramount Global attributes its 63 million streaming subscribers to NFL games driving Paramount+ subscriptions, while Amazon credits TNF for prime subscriptions and advertising growth.
The streaming shift also aims at staying relevant, especially for the under-40 demographic abandoning traditional cable. Warner Bros. Discovery’s JB Perrette emphasizes catering to varied preferences, with Disney and WBD seeking balance by offering streaming options alongside cable packages.
As more and more entertainment content takes a jump from Linear TV to OTT, sports remain the bridge keeping a relationship, but as most platforms try to get more involved in the world of sports.
Besides that, some OTT platforms are shifting to AVOD streaming, replacing TV services properly. Even streaming sports events for ‘literary’ free and the emergence of Smart TV, sports might find its new home, and that is definitely the last straw for the existence of Linear TV.
Now, in terms of experience, Linear TV is definitely unmatched, as OTT is still very much flawed. JioCinema did fumble a lot during major events, and that is also present in the experience of a big sports streaming platform such as Peacock. But again, the shift is indeed evident and ‘sadly’ happening.