It is a well-known fact that the main streaming platforms are investing heavily in sports content. Sports have been the primary focus of recent TV upfront presentations, encompassing live broadcast rights and ancillary programming such as docuseries.
Recent data has provided a fresh perspective on the trend.
According to a recent report published by Nielsen’s Gracenote on Thursday, the combined sports content of five of the top streaming subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms—Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, and Apple TV+—increased by 7.8% from February to May of this year.
Gracenote discovered that this growth rate is nearly twice as rapid as the expansion of movie catalogs on those platforms during the same period, and it is a full percentage point greater than the growth of their TV libraries.
The data is global and encompasses live sports, as well as sports-related programming such as news and documentaries.
“We have progressed beyond the peak TV phase,” asserts Bill Michels, Gracenote’s chief product officer. This phase was characterized by the creation and distribution of original tentpole content to drive subscriber growth and reduce attrition. “Streaming services appear to be adopting a more deliberate and focused strategy at present.”
Why are athletics necessary at this time?
Streamers are striving to attract the majority of viewers to their platforms, particularly on a global scale, as sports events continue to be the most viewed programs on television. This is particularly true for upcoming events such as the Winter Olympics and FIFA World Cup.
Additionally, all services listed in the Gracenote report, with the exception of Apple TV+, offer ad-supported plans. Sports will continue to be essential in enticing advertisers as streamers establish their businesses.
According to Michels, sports content is an excellent method for streaming services to attract and retain audiences, generate engagement, or monetize content through advertising.
The most significant improvements
According to the Gracenote report, Disney+, Netflix, and Prime Video collectively account for 92% of the streaming sports content across the platforms that were assessed (Hulu content was incorporated into Disney+ content).
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ESPN was included in Disney’s upfront presentation, which established the company as a sports leader. Bob Iger, the CEO, proclaimed that the company provides “the most live sports hours” in the industry.
However, Netflix’s sports programming experienced the greatest expansion in the months under consideration, with a growth rate exceeding 18%, according to Gracenote’s report.
The data indicates that the streamer is still interested in sports-related content, despite the fact that it is not currently aggressively pursuing major sports rights. Instead, it is prioritizing events such as Christmas Day NFL games.
According to Michels, “While live games attract real-time viewership, shoulder content, such as original series, documentary films, and highlight shows, offers fans supplementary opportunities to engage with their preferred sports, teams, and athletes.”
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