As sports increasingly migrate from traditional broadcast and cable television to streaming platforms, new research indicates that fans are cautiously embracing the shift.
According to the latest findings from Hub Entertainment Research’s “What’s the Score: The Evolution of Sports Media” survey, fans are generally enthusiastic about the convenience of sports on streaming, but there are concerns about accessibility and reliability.
The survey shows that while fans believe traditional broadcast and cable networks still deliver sports content better than individual streaming brands, there is a significant appetite for more sports on streaming services.
When asked which platform would best cover sports, 24% of respondents chose network TV — more than double the 11% who chose Amazon Prime and nearly three times higher than platforms like Hulu or Netflix. However, 59% of respondents opted for a streaming platform, highlighting the growing trust in streaming brands due to their established presence in scripted television.
Despite the enthusiasm, technical issues persist. More than a third (37%) of avid sports fans reported experiencing frequent technical problems, such as buffering, app crashes, or lag time between streaming feeds and network broadcasts. However, these challenges have not significantly dampened enthusiasm. Among fans who experience glitches, 75% still express excitement about more sports becoming available on streaming platforms. This excitement is nearly mirrored by those who do not encounter such issues, with 68% showing a positive outlook.
Many fans find the fragmented landscape of multiple streaming services a hurdle. Sixty-nine percent of avid sports fans feel that using multiple providers to watch the same sport is a hassle, and 59% say it has become more challenging to find the sports they want to watch. Both figures have increased since the first wave of this study six months ago. Jon Giegengack, principal at Hub and one of the study’s authors, noted, “The reputation streaming brands have built delivering scripted TV has earned them goodwill when it comes to sports. But that goodwill doesn’t come without strings attached: network TV still benefits from the inertia of familiarity, one which individual streamers will need a longer track record to match. Plus, fans are already wary their sports will become more confusing to find — a problem which will be even more frustrating with live sports because it’s critical to find and watch them immediately.”
Based on interviews with 3,763 U.S. sports fans aged 13 to 74, the Hub study underscores the complexities and growing pains of sports media evolution. As streaming continues to rise in popularity, it must address these concerns to ensure fans can find and enjoy their favorite sports without frustration.