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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.

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.

The sports rights spending of subscription OTT services will increase by more than $3 billion this year to reach $8.5 billion worldwide, according to Ampere Analysis. Their monthly viewership will also grow, per our forecast, surpassing 2 billion for the first time in 2023.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector鈥檚 fastest-growing ad channel.

(Apple TV+ offers advertising only in the few live sports games it airs.) For the most-used services, ad tiers tend to offer higher average revenues per user (ARPU) than ad-free tiers. But that鈥檚 not universally true. For example, BET+鈥檚 nascent ad tier makes less money per subscriber than its ad-free tier, according to AdExchanger.

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.

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.

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.

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.

As CTV services increasingly show more live events and sports coverage, they chip away at some of the last remaining benefits of linear TV. Marketers should feel empowered to research and identify what CTV campaigns can offer compared to traditional TV. 3. CTV advertisers are already benefiting from measurement and performance goals.

The scene: When Cooper Flagg鈥攖he odds-on favorite to be the NBA Rookie of the Year next season鈥攕teps onto the court for the first time, he鈥檒l be wearing New Balance basketball shoes. Our take: New Balance鈥檚 push to sign Flagg, along with its other star-powered ambassadors, underscores its clear ambition to break into the top tier of global sportswear brands. While Nike and Adidas still lead by a wide margin, New Balance has its sights set on Puma, which reported $9.5 billion in sales last year鈥攚ell ahead of New Balance鈥檚 $7.8 billion. To close the gap, New Balance needs to turn its growing visibility into demand, which is far from a sure thing. From there, it must maintain that momentum with consistent sales across both its performance and lifestyle lines. If Flagg lives up to the hype and the brand finds ways to ride that momentum, New Balance could take a meaningful step up the sneaker hier

NBCU highlights sports, streaming at Upfront event: The presentation outlined NBCU鈥檚 plan to offset declining traditional TV revenues.

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

For WBD, a potential spin-off of linear assets could help streaming growth, and Paramount must continue investing in sports and blockbuster content. Both companies will need to keep delivering streaming hits and managing costs prudently amid external pressures like trade disruptions and cautious consumer spending.