ESPN+ Dominates as Top Sports Streaming Service in U.S. Households, Parks Reveals

Disney Dominates Sports Streaming, But NBA Scores Highest with Subscribers

March 13, 2025 – Disney’s standalone sports streaming service has emerged as the leading platform among U.S.internet households, capturing 19% of the market, according to recent data. This puts it ahead of competitors like NFL+, which holds 10% of the market share.The findings are based on an online survey conducted by parks Associates,polling 8,000 respondents.

The Rise of Streaming and the “Sports Traditionalist”

The surge in streaming has revolutionized sports consumption, allowing fans to access events on a variety of devices, including mobile phones, smart TVs, and laptops. This increased accessibility has broadened the audience and reshaped viewing habits. According to the report, 33% of U.S. internet households now subscribe to a direct-to-consumer (D2C) sports service, while 43% of households watch live sports from any source.

Notably, the viewing habits vary across age groups. While 70% of sports viewers aged 18-24 watch at least one live game or match per week,this figure rises to over 87% for those aged 55 and older. This indicates a strong engagement with live sports across all age demographics.

Though, the landscape is shifting. “as more games move to streaming platforms, the traditional sports viewer, or ‘sports traditionalist,’ who watches only via broadcast or pay TV, is becoming a smaller segment of the overall audience,” said Jennifer Kent, VP of research at Parks, in a statement. The report indicates that “by Q3 2024, only 8% of consumers in internet households were ‘sports traditionalists,’ with an additional 13% using both traditional outlets and streaming services to watch sports.” This highlights the growing importance of streaming in the sports viewing ecosystem.

NBA Leads in Subscriber Satisfaction

While Disney leads in overall market share,the NBA stands out in terms of subscriber satisfaction.The league boasts the most satisfied subscribers among D2C streaming sports services. The report also reveals that two-thirds of streaming sports service subscribers maintain thier subscriptions even after the season ends, suggesting a strong level of loyalty and engagement. Of those who cancelled their subscriptions, “more than half said they were very likely to re-subscribe,” indicating a potential for future growth and subscriber retention.

Actionable Takeaways for Sports Streaming Services

• Focus on subscriber Retention: Given that a critically important portion of subscribers maintain their subscriptions after the season, sports streaming services should focus on providing year-round value to minimize churn.
• Target Younger Demographics: While older viewers are highly engaged, explore strategies to further capture the younger demographic (18-24) through interactive features, exclusive content, and social media integration.
• Optimize User Experience: With more viewers accessing content on various devices, ensuring a seamless and high-quality streaming experience across all platforms is crucial.

the sports streaming landscape is evolving rapidly, with Disney leading the charge and the NBA excelling in subscriber satisfaction. As streaming continues to gain prominence, understanding viewer preferences, optimizing user experience, and focusing on subscriber retention will be key to success. Stay tuned for further updates as the market continues to evolve.

How can sports streaming services leverage interactive options adn exclusive content to attract and retain younger viewers?

Analyzing Disney’s Sports Streaming Dominance and NBA’s Subscriber Satisfaction: An Interview with Mark Olsen

Archyde news – March 13, 2025 – The sports streaming arena is constantly evolving. Today, we delve into recent data highlighting Disney’s leading market share and the NBA’s impressive subscriber satisfaction with Mark Olsen, a Principal Analyst at StreamWise Analytics. Mark, welcome!

It’s a pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.

What’s your take on Disney’s commanding lead in the sports streaming market, capturing 19% of U.S. internet households?

Disney’s dominance isn’t entirely surprising. They’ve strategically bundled linear programming into their ESPN streaming service, offering access to marquee events like Monday Night Football and NBA games. This all-in-one approach attracts a broad audience. Also,according to recent reports,their competitive pricing has definitely contributed to their success.

The report also touches on the rise of streaming among different age groups. Is there a noticeable shift in how younger and older viewers consume sports?

Absolutely. While both demographics show high engagement with live sports, younger viewers are increasingly drawn to the accessibility and versatility of streaming platforms on devices like mobile phones. However, the “sports traditionalist,” who sticks to broadcast and pay TV, is becoming a smaller segment. It’s crucial for services to cater to the expectations of both segments, something Disney tries to, but isn’t always successful at.

The NBA seems to be hitting a home run with its subscriber satisfaction. What are they doing right in the direct-to-consumer sports space?

The NBA has cultivated a strong sense of community and offers interactive experiences that resonate with fans.They excel at providing more than just game broadcasts; they deliver behind-the-scenes content, personalized experiences, and engaging digital platforms which clearly contributes to very satisfied subscribers. The NBA has also found success in keeping two-thirds of streaming sports service subscribers, even after the season ends.

What’s the key takeaway for sports streaming services looking to thrive in this competitive market,especially now that many are offering a way for families to watch sports together?

Subscriber retention is paramount. Since a major portion maintain their subscriptions even after the season, creating year-round value is crucial. This can be achieved through exclusive content, interactive features, and compelling offers. Also, focus on optimizing the user experience across all devices. Consider that more than half of those who cancel their subscriptions indicate they “very likely” would resubscribe.

Any final thoughts or predictions about the future of sports streaming? Perhaps you could expand on the point that sports streaming services should target younger demographics?

The sports streaming landscape will only become more fragmented and personalized. Services need to innovate constantly to capture and retain viewers. While older viewers offer strong engagement, actively engaging younger demographics (18-24) through interactive options, exclusive content via different social media platforms, and unique online experiences will be critical. Can we expect exclusive sports leagues for streaming within our lifetime?

What strategies do you think sports streaming services should use to capture and retain younger viewers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!