Sports fans are among the most loyal of consumers and a desirable audience for brands seeking to reach a broad, engaged demographic. Until recently, however, streaming services didn’t typically include live sports in their offerings due to the technical challenges involved and the high cost of rights.Website

That’s changing, as Apple is closing in on a deal with FIFA to show the inaugural expanded Club World Cup next summer in the U.S., Amazon Prime is eyeing the NBA and will broadcast 17 Champions League matches in 2024-25, and ESPN, Fox Corp and Warner Bros are teaming up on a new service called Venu Sports that will launch later this year.

How to Watch Live Sports on a Budget: Tips for Fans

The reason is clear: Live sports offer premium ad space, attract large audiences, and can drive subscriber growth and boost market positioning. In addition, sports events often feature supplemental content like pre-game shows and analysis that increase total viewing time on the platform and help establish brand differentiation.

Sports streaming has also become a powerful marketing tool for legacy pay-TV providers, which face the prospect of losing a crucial thread that keeps viewers attached to their traditional cable packages: sports. While linear cable still retains exclusive control of most major live sports due to its long-term media rights agreements, the trend toward incorporating sport into streaming video services will only accelerate as more consumer attention shifts away from traditional pay-TV.