蘑菇AV

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.

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.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how Netflix鈥檚 recent live sports events have performed, if there鈥檚 a new streaming price ceiling for consumers, and whether its entertainment hub playbook is replicable. Tune in to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson and Vice President Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

While live sports and premium content will drive growth鈥攖he company shared news on that front at CES鈥擯eacock鈥檚 profitability remains a challenge. The coming NBA season will be a major test; if it attracts subscribers, Comcast鈥檚 approach could prove to be a winning formula. But if price hikes lead to churn, the company may have to rethink its media ambitions.

Let me, I can smuggle in an additional data point because the live sports component is why those that are growing are growing. So we've got Peacock and Amazon Prime Video are the ones that are starting to take share, and Netflix is losing share, and then you can pretty much entirely ascribe that to live sports. (11:10):.

Key stat: 19% of US adults play team sports, up from 11% in 2020, according to CivicScience, signaling that people aren鈥檛 only watching sports, they鈥檙e participating as well.

Live sport being an example that I put in the outer or wider orbit. There are some big disruptions happening. I mean in the US, live sports and the NFL deal that you'll tell me, Marcus, the Sunday ticket or something. Marcus Johnson:. Sunday ticket. Bill Fisher:. Sunday ticket.

The NFL鈥檚 shift to streaming reflects a broader move away from traditional cable, yet latency issues could hinder real-time engagement and sports betting. The final word: Super Bowl LIX showcased the changing nature of live sports broadcasting, advertising, and viewership habits.

According to Ad Age reporting, some advertisers complained about VideoAmp鈥檚 ability to measure live sports viewership and track diverse audiences. Advertisers also struggled to compare Nielsen and VideoAmp measurements to ensure that contracts were fulfilled, a sign that a lack of standards across currencies could help Nielsen maintain its lead.

Amazon鈥檚 streaming and live sports content is turning into a high-margin media empire and becoming a major driver of its advertising expansion. Advertising has become a fast-growing component of the company鈥檚 overall revenues鈥攁pproaching 10% of Amazon鈥檚 total鈥攁nd despite headwinds, it is poised to capture an even greater share. Go further: Read our analysis of Amazon's Q4 commerce performance.

Over the years, Amazon has piled on perks and benefits including ad-free listening with Amazon Music, access to a vast collection of programming and live sports on Prime Video, and unlimited photo storage with Amazon Photos.

Live sports offer a rare communal viewing experience, amplifying ad impact and embedding campaigns into cultural conversation. Beyond entertainment, these ads are carefully designed for social media, where teasers and extended versions expand their reach.

NBCUniversal and Amazon paid a fortune for NBA rights in the hopes that Peacock and Prime Video would continue to gain and maintain subscribers due to exclusive sports rights. We forecast that live sports viewing will keep shrinking on traditional TV and growing on digital services. In 2022, more sports viewers watched via traditional TV than digital services.

Ad-supported streaming grows: 66% of US viewers prefer affordability as Netflix and Amazon refine ad strategies with lighter loads and live content.

New NBA broadcasting deals with NBC and Amazon: These partnerships, pending approval, are set to enhance live sports accessibility and boost advertising revenue.

Netflix's NFL debut sets records: Despite technical hiccups, Christmas Day games drew over 24 million viewers each, boosting the platform鈥檚 sports ambitions.

2025 is a crucial year for Netflix鈥檚 future: The streaming leader鈥檚 first sports rights deal begins in days, teeing up future opportunities.

This methodical descent is unlikely to ease, particularly as more live sports programming migrates to digital platforms. But the slowness of TV鈥檚 death presents a conundrum for marketers: It鈥檚 still a big chunk of daily time spent with media (2:45 per day in 2025). Among devices, mobile remains dominant, and CTV has almost caught up with regular TV.

Digital sports viewership surpasses TV: Fragmentation challenges consumers, while younger audiences drive demand for highlights and streaming innovation.