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Netflix reports 15% revenue growth: Its ad-supported tier and live sports drove success despite slowing subscriber gains.

FAST trend grows globally: New channels from Free Live Sports, CBC, and Pluto TV showcase demand for free, ad-supported streaming options.

Disney+ Hotstar to stream Coldplay鈥檚 record-breaking India concert: The event signals its push beyond sports to premium live entertainment.

Live sports (low disruption). Key market dynamics. The NFL 鈥淪unday Ticket鈥� deal upped the ante for YouTube and live sports. But the costs associated with securing this type of top-tier sports coverage means it鈥檚 an isolated case, at least for now.

Sports remains a profitable ad opportunity: Two-thirds of Americans are sports fans and over half have made a purchase based on audio ads.

Bigger, better, faster: ESPN鈥檚 service will offer two tiers鈥擡SPN Select, similar to today鈥檚 ESPN+, and ESPN Unlimited, which unlocks all ESPN networks and live ABC sports. The $29.99/month base option can also be bundled with Hulu and Disney+ for $35.99/month with ads. A launch window deal will drop the bundle to $29.99/month for the first year.

NWSL secures key women-led sponsorships: E.l.f. Cosmetics and Unwell partner with the soccer league, marking a shift in how beauty and lifestyle brands invest in sports.

Disney鈥檚 鈥渃ontent everywhere鈥� strategy, broken down: The company is working to maintain advertising dominance by capitalizing on live events.

Key stat: US digital live sports viewers now outnumber traditional pay TV live sports viewers, per our September 2024 forecast. 114.1 million people in the US will watch live sports via digital this year, compared to 82.0 million pay TV viewers. Streamers are consequently investing more in sports rights, which means even more people cutting the cord and watching via digital.

Sports drives growth for Disney and Fubo: Both saw success in recent months, largely attributed to their merger and emphasis on sports content.

Discovery over their plans for Venu, which was intended to be a sports-only streaming service. The companies abandoned Venu after legal setbacks, including a preliminary injunction that blocked its launch. DirecTV launched MySports days later to capitalize on Venu鈥檚 death.

Live sports and CNN content will remain free for standard and premium subscribers on Max, though they will be removed from the ad-supported tier on March 30. Traditional TV trails: As streaming thrives, WBD鈥檚 TV networks continue to struggle, reinforcing the broader industry shift away from linear TV. TV network revenues dropped 5% to $4.77 billion, reflecting cord-cutting and a softer ad market.

Canceling Venu Sports is expected to cost Disney鈥檚 sports segment $50 million, further adding pressure to its streaming business. Peacock is betting big on live sports, but profitability remains elusive. The platform added 16% more subscribers YoY, reaching 36 million, while revenues surged 46% to $4.9 billion.

Because consumers now access content via dozens of platforms and devices, even tentpole events like award shows and live sports are more challenging to measure. As measurement catches up to consumer viewing habits, brands will have better information regarding where to reach incremental audiences and how to optimize frequency to drive awareness and consideration while mitigating waste.

The company described the updates as a 鈥渇lexible canvas鈥� that accommodates its live sports and gaming content, both of which Netflix has spent considerable resources on to develop and deploy.

TikTok extends its partnership with MLS: The move is part of a broader trend of brands investing in sports.

Android Auto chases connected car gaming, while Apple CarPlay bets on sports content and simplified interfaces. Both present new advertising opportunities.

Sports in an exception. In 2024, live sports CPMs grew even as total linear TV CPMs dropped. There鈥檚 an expectation that the same thing will happen this year. TV networks will adapt by bundling sports with their other programming and requiring that advertisers buy the package rather than accessing sports a la carte. Streaming ad prices are declining as well.

That blend of entertainment and live sports could help insulate Disney from broader market pressures鈥攅specially as consumer wallets tighten. Looking ahead: Disney+ is projected to generate $4.12 billion in US subscription revenues in 2025, per our forecast. That鈥檚 up 8.6% from the prior year, while its ad-supported tier should bring in $1.27 billion鈥攎arking a 20.1% increase.

With billions committed to live sports rights, media companies may further deprioritize scripted programming in favor of lower-cost unscripted content, putting creative innovation at risk. Licensing deals could stall.

Paris Olympics drives record viewership: NBCU sees 82% increase, highlighting value for advertisers in live sports events.