By Jay Bemis | Advertising Systems Inc.
If your marketing department isn’t targeting sports streamers yet, June would be a good time to start.
With such events as the U.S Open golf tournament, the NBA finals and the NHL’s Stanley Cup all in store, along with Major League Baseball already in full swing, the month promises to light up millions of streamers’ TV, computer and phone screens in the weeks ahead.
There are an estimated 114 million sports streamers who like to catch live action digitally in the United States, compared to 82 million people who still watch sporting events on traditional pay/linear TV, according to a forecast released late last year by eMarketer.
That gap will grow to 121.1 million streamers and 78 million linear viewers in 2026 and then 127.4 million streamers versus 75.4 million linear watchers in 2027, eMarketer says.
Why Do People Choose to Stream Sports?
Flexibility plays a key role in sports streaming’s growing numbers.
Viewers find that they are not tied to just their living room TV or cable box to watch a big game; they can opt to catch the action on their phone during their lunch breaks, watch on a laptop while they are traveling (or perhaps discreetly so while at work), or even view multiple events at once if they follow several sports or teams.
Brands that choose to invest in sports streaming advertising, meanwhile, can capture an audience that is more highly engaged. One media poll has found, in fact, that 64% of connected TV viewers say they pay attention to ads during live sports.
“Unlike on-demand, these events create a sense of community, drive attention, and have highly attentive viewers that are more receptive to brand messages,” Derrius Jackson, of media and measurement firm Ovative, recently told ad platform The Trade Desk.
Streaming also works well with the concept of programmatic advertising. Programmatic ad buys are intended to target ads to the best platforms and locations under current conditions. They often target digital platforms, such as streaming services and connected TV, but a programmatic ad buy might include a mix of print, mail or traditional TV advertising, too.
Programmatic ad buys have proven popular in recent years with smaller businesses, many of which have enlisted the help of marketing strategists to help them best target their ads over the programmatic landscape.
How to Stream Your Favorite Team Without Cable
When selecting a streaming service to watch, or on which your brand might advertise, the most important factor is making sure that the service has the most games of your favorite team or league, according to The Streamable, a platform that focuses on streaming services.
“It’s never fun to buy into a platform just to find out that they have only a few select games after you’ve paid for a subscription. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a service that has all of the games you’re after, but getting the majority of them in one place is half the battle.”
The Streamable lists these as some of the top sports streaming services to select, with all of them offering various sports channels, “most with national sports channels, regional sports networks, local channels, and league networks as part of your service.”
- DirecTV Stream:
Ranked as best for total number of sports channels.
“Depending on your tier, you can get up to 21 Major Sports Channels with DirecTV Stream. You will also get live sports on local channels and your regional sports network.”
- Fubo:
Best for saving on regional sports.
“You will get 20 Major Sports Channels with Fubo, some of which will require their Sports Plus Add-On. You will also get live sports on local channels and regional sports networks.”
- Hulu Live TV:
Best for national sports.
“With Hulu + Live TV, you will get 18 Major Sports Channels. You will also get access to ESPN+ at no extra charge and choose to add additional channels, like NFL RedZone, with their Sports Plus Add-On ($10).”
- Sling TV:
Best for sports streaming on a budget.
“At just $45.99 a month, there is no cheaper option to get live sports like ESPN, which is on their Sling Orange Plan. If you need FS1, USA Network, or NFL Network, you will need their Sling Blue Plan. You will get TBS and TNT on both plans.”
- YouTube TV:
Best interface for sports.
“You can get 18 Major Sports Channels with YouTube TV. If you want more live sports, they have channels like NFL RedZone and BeIn Sports in their Sports Plus Add-on ($11).”
