The Era of Steaming – How Streaming Sites are beginning to take over the World of Live Sport

Introduction

The world of casually turning on your television to watch your favourite sport is long gone and has now been taken over by the broadcasting giants Sky Sports and TNT (Previously known as BT Sport). Currently, sports consumers must go through paywalls on these different sports broadcasters to watch their favourite sport or team play live, in addition to having to pay extra to watch box office events, which is known as Pay-Per-View (PPV). However, recently, these broadcasting giants are beginning to worry, as a new revolution is beginning, with the likes of Netflix, Disney, Apple, and Amazon wanting to jump in the ring and take over the world of live sports. This post will discuss how these streaming sites are transforming how sport is consumed, compared to the traditional ways we know today, alongside how the current broadcasting giants are facing competition unlike ever before.

Accessibility and Convenience

First, the clearest advantage that streaming services such as Netflix have over broadcasters like Sky is regarding accessibility and convenience. All that is required to use Netflix is a strong enough internet connection and any compatible device from a smartphone or laptop to a smart TV. There is no need for a TV box which is required when watching Sky through a television, therefore, streaming sites are helping people consume sport no matter where they are.

Cost Effectiveness

One of the key areas that streaming sites are changing the way live sport is consumed is due to the affordability of these sites compared to the likes of Sky and TNT. For example, a regular Netflix monthly subscription will cost an individual £7.99 a month, compared to the Sky Sports package on its own, costing £20 a month. From this, platforms such as Netflix and Disney are providing consumers with more value for money, including not only live sporting events such as the recent Tennis match between Nadal and Alcaraz that was shown live on Netflix but all the other shows and movies that Netflix provide within their subscription packages.

Niche Sports and Global Reach

Broadcasters such as Sky can only broadcast certain sports within a specified region, limiting the possible access for sport consumers. However, regarding streaming sites, they do not have these barriers, being easily able to provide live sporting events across the world such as the Nadal and Alcaraz tennis match previously mentioned. These sites are able to provide dedicated platforms for a particular sport, with Apple TV recently reaching a 10-year deal with the MLS, showing live matches, highlights and analysis all within their platform, and is accessible by sport consumers across the globe (Reedy, 2022).

The Future and Conclusion

The future for live sport is looking bright for streaming services. With the areas discussed above, the market is perfectly set up for the likes of Netflix, Disney, and Apple to take over from the current sporting broadcasters such as Sky, and TNT who are fighting an uphill battle to try and keep hold of live sports consumption. Whilst the traditional format of sports consumption continues, the shift towards the freedom and flexibility of streaming services is coming.

Please see the sources used for this post below:

Cambridge (n.d.). PAY-PER-VIEW | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary. [online] dictionary.cambridge.org. Available at: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pay-per-view.

Chatterjee, K. (2023). The Rise of Streaming Platforms: A Revolution in Entertainment. [online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/@kasturichatterjee1108/the-rise-of-streaming-platforms-a-revolution-in-entertainment-3553b094d799.

Frost, G. (2023). Netflix price changes UK: how they affect subscribers. [online] Times Money Mentor. Available at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/money-mentor/income-budgeting/netflix-uk-price-news.

Sky (n.d.). Sky Sports Packages – Watch Football, F1, Cricket & More. [online] Available at: https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?isApple=false&dcmp=knc-uk-sports-d-ec-a-app&dcmp=knc-ggl-gen-nc-20312079801-sky%20sports%20membership&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwMqvBhCtARIsAIXsZpbvoUOmrwSrHZBw_jdDLe0rHJTNEz7igu00pvz-TgdAdRYlMG_9Tw8aAjlnEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds [Accessed 14 Mar. 2024].

Potts, M. (2024). How to watch The Netflix Slam: Rafael Nadal v Carlos Alcaraz on TV, live stream and UK time. [online] Radio Times. Available at: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sport/tennis/the-netflix-slam-2024-tv-live-stream/ [Accessed 14 Mar. 2024].

Reedy, J. (2022) ‘Apple, Mls Announce 10-Year Streaming Deal.(sports)(major League Soccer)’, Globe & Mail (Toronto, Canada), B13, p. 13.