The competition among streaming services is intensifying, with sports programming emerging as a key battleground. A recent report from Gracenote reveals a substantial increase in sports content across major subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platforms. The report, released on February 26, 2025, shows a remarkable 72% quarter-over-quarter surge in sports content on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix, and Paramount+.
This significant growth underscores the importance of live sports in attracting and retaining subscribers. Disney+ witnessed the most dramatic increase, boasting a staggering 471% rise in sports content, largely attributed to the addition of select ESPN programming. Netflix also experienced substantial growth, nearly doubling its sports offerings with a 100% increase.
While Apple TV+ didn't expand its sports catalog this past quarter, the upcoming Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) seasons are poised to significantly boost its content library. This influx of sports programming has dramatically altered the distribution landscape. Disney+ now controls almost 33% of the available sports content, surpassing previous quarters, closely trailing Amazon Prime Video's 35% share. Netflix currently holds slightly over 23% of the total sports programming across these five platforms.
Beyond sports, the five SVOD services collectively increased their overall content offerings by 6.7% last quarter. Movies and TV shows saw growth of 7.6% and 5.4%, respectively, with approximately 3,000 movies, 2,000 TV series, and 500 sports programs added. Amazon Prime Video retains its position as the leading distributor of streaming content, commanding nearly 69% of all available programming.
“Live sports programming continues to be an important driver of user growth, retention and engagement for streaming services,” noted Bill Michels, chief product officer at Gracenote. “We are also seeing that relevant metadata, such as synopses, scores, highlights and imagery, have the power to help streamers build world-class user experiences that keep users engaged beyond the live game.”
Gracenote's Data Hub, which tracks changes in SVOD programming, provides metadata for over 40 million titles across 260 streaming catalogs in more than 80 countries. Future reports are anticipated to provide further insights into the evolving TV market.