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The number of women鈥檚 live sports viewers has grown tremendously. This year, more than double the number of people will watch women鈥檚 sports monthly than in 2022.

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

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.

The news: Netflix will offer linear TV content from French broadcaster TF1 including scripted shows and live sports in France beginning next summer, the two companies announced at Cannes Lions 2025. TF1 will distribute content and live broadcasts on Netflix鈥檚 platform, opening the door for future deals with other broadcasters. TF1 reaches 58 million monthly viewers, per the announcement.

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.

The news: The 2025 NBA Finals drew just 10.2 million viewers on average, among the weakest results in two decades鈥攜et Game 7 peaked at 19.3 million, the highest since 2019. Traditional ratings miss the full picture, though: social views on NBA Finals content soared 215% year over year to 5 billion. Our take: Gen Z sports fans are watching differently鈥攙ia highlights, short clips, and mobile-first formats on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. TV still matters, but leagues like the NBA must master new distribution models. With streaming growth and a massive $76B media deal in place, the future is already digital.

The news: Women鈥檚 sports is continuing to grow in relevance, reaching new milestones in 2024, per research from the charity Women鈥檚 Sport Trust. Leagues like the Women鈥檚 National Basketball Association (WNBA) grew significantly across social media in the 2024 season, reaching a single-season record of nearly 2 billion video views across WNBA social media platforms鈥攎ore than quadruple the previous season. Our take: As more brands invest in women鈥檚 sports and viewership spikes, advertisers must recognize women鈥檚 sports not as a niche category only relevant for select moments, but as a critical part of a comprehensive sports marketing campaign.

NBCU looks to secure MLB rights after ESPN backs out: The deal would position NBCU as a one-stop shop for sports, enhancing its value for advertisers.

YouTube strikes deal to broadcast first game of the NFL season: The move responds to fans embracing digital for sports and presents an opportunity for advertisers.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

And it continues to expand its live sports offerings. When Prime Video鈥檚 ad tier launched in 2024, it featured just a few minutes of ads per hour. Amazon plans to increase Prime Video鈥檚 ad loads, which will increase ad revenues while testing consumer patience. Amazon鈥檚 most similar CTV competitor is arguably Roku.

Live sports programming has become the biggest variable, although growth is difficult to achieve no matter what. Peacock grew its time spent the most last year, thanks overwhelmingly to sports. Amazon Prime Video will top the active user growth list this year for the same reason. Disney+ is also growing well, but mainly because Disney is allowing it to steal engagement from Hulu.

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

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.

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.

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.