Live Sports in the Streaming Era: What’s Changing and Why It Matters
Samba TV’s recently released report, Live Sports on Streaming Platforms, provides five key sets of data points to help advertisers and sports leagues better target their audiences both during and after live sporting events. The report begins with insights into web-only sporting events, revealing audience numbers for the most-watched and least-watched games on platforms like Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.
It then examines how viewer demographics shift when sports are available on both broadcast and streaming, offering a detailed breakdown of who watches where. Then it lists the companies and industries advertising on Amazon's Thursday Night Football, and the shows fans of different sports when watch when a game isn't available. Finally, the report highlights the deliberate nature of live sports viewership and the challenges platforms face in retaining audiences after the games end.
Web-Only Sports Events: What’s Grabbing Viewers?
As you would expect, there's a stark range in audience sizes for web-only sports events. At the top end was the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, which drew 9.3 million U.S. household viewers on Netflix. While this figure is substantial, it reflects only domestic live and same-day viewership, leaving out potential global audiences or delayed streaming views. As you would expect, the NFL also performed well with 4.2 million viewers watching the Packers battle the Eagles on Peacock.
By comparison, smaller events like MLS games on Apple TV+ struggled to reach similar numbers, with some matchups, such as Charlotte vs. Miami, attracting just 69,000 viewers, while the NHL's New York Rangers vs. the Detroit Red Wings drew only 87,000 viewers. These numbers suggest that even well-established leagues like the NHL face challenges in drawing large audiences for streaming-only events, especially when they’re not available on national linear channels.
Broadcast vs. Streaming: Who Watches Where?
Surprising absolutely no one, Samba TV next reveals that across sports like MLS, NHL, and the UEFA Champions League: younger, higher-income audiences gravitate toward streaming, while older, lower-income viewers prefer broadcast TV. For example, MLS on Apple TV+, NHL on Hulu and ESPN+, and UEFA on Paramount+ are all attracting millennials with money to spend—one of the most coveted demographics for advertisers. Meanwhile, older and lower-income households stick to traditional TV.
This trend gives advertisers a clear roadmap: use streaming platforms to engage affluent, younger audiences, while leveraging broadcast TV to reach older or less tech-savvy viewers. For example, an automotive brand targeting millennials might focus on streaming ads during MLS or NHL games, while a mass-market product might lean on broadcast placements for broader reach.
For sports leagues, the implications are more complex. Should leagues align their distribution strategies with their existing audiences—focusing on streaming to retain younger, affluent fans—or diversify by maintaining a presence on both broadcast and streaming platforms to expand their reach? Balancing these priorities could be key to future growth.
Advertiser Investment in Thursday Night Football
Amazon’s Thursday Night NFL Football has become a focal point for advertisers looking to tap into live sports streaming. Amazon touts the benefits of its Thursday Night Football advertising, highlighting features like household-level targeting based on demographics, viewing habits, and purchase data, and interactive ad formats that enhance viewer engagement.
As detailed in the Samba report, the top advertisers include major brands like Hyundai, State Farm, and Subway, and as any watcher will attest, betting services like FanDuel and Draft Kings are also highly represented. In terms of advertising verticals, these capabilities appear to be resonating in the insurance sector, which increased its ad spend by a staggering 133%. Vehicle manufacturers also saw a notable rise, boosting their investment by 16%.
However, not all sectors are increasing their presence. Electronics and communications advertising saw a sharp decline, dropping by 44%, while restaurant advertising decreased by 7%. This divergence underscores the shifting priorities of advertisers, with some industries fully embracing the targeting and reach of live sports streaming while others appear to be pulling back.
What Else Are Sports Fans Watching?
Not all sports advertising is about the game itself. Advertisers often want to reach the same viewers—or their lookalike audiences—outside of live sports, and Samba TV’s data provides valuable insights into these viewing habits. The report identified a range of shows watched by sports fans, some closely tied to sports and others completely unrelated. For example, Welcome to Wrexham, which chronicles the journey of a soccer team, and Evolution of the Black Quarterback, tied to NFL viewership, have clear connections to sports audiences.
On the other hand, who would have thought that soccer fans watching MLS on Apple TV+ would also enjoy Apple TV+’s espionage thriller Slow Horses? This section of the report is a subtle but powerful pitch for Samba TV’s services. By analyzing its data, platforms and advertisers can identify complementary programming that appeals to sports fans and use that to engage audiences after game day.
Live Sports as Appointment Viewing
This is particularly important given the final key finding from the report: only 4% of viewers stay on the same platform after the game, while the rest either turn off their TVs or change channels or platforms. During the golden age of broadcast TV, carryover audiences would follow one show to the next, so slots after shows like Cheers or Friends almost guaranteed a healthy audience. As Figure 1 shows, live sports doesn’t produce the same inheritance effect.
Figure 1. Live sports is appointment viewing; viewers tune in to watch the game, and then turn off the TV or click away.
To capture this fleeting attention, advertisers can target sports viewers during related or tangentially appealing shows to extend their campaigns and maximize reach. Similarly, broadcasters paying for the game should plan on achieving its ROI from the game itself, because the carryover benefit will likely be minimal.
For advertisers, the report highlights clear demographic splits by platform. Streaming platforms are ideal for targeting younger, affluent audiences, while linear TV remains the better choice for older or less tech-savvy viewers. Advertisers should align their campaigns with the platforms that best match their target demographics, leveraging streaming’s precision targeting to maximize ROI.
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