Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

ESPN+ leads US sports streaming as cable sports audience shrinks

A new Parks Associates study reveals that 19% of US internet households subscribe to ESPN+, making it the leading sports-specific streaming service. NFL+ follows with 10%, as streaming continues to reshape how fans consume live sports.

The research - Streaming Sports in the Fan Experience - highlights shifting viewer habits, with 33% of households subscribed to a sports streaming service and 70% of young viewers (18-24) watching at least one live game per week.

"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 Associates. "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."

From the CSI Magazine article, "ESPN+ leads US sports streaming as cable sports audience shrinks

Previously In The News

Some NFL+ users struggle to watch games on the app

Consumer issues with accessing the NFL games are also indicative of a fragmented sports streaming landscape. Eric Sorensen, a senior contributing analyst with Parks Associates, noted in July how curre...

Streaming is heading toward a breaking point with consumers

However, while work on that puzzle continues and multiple companies look for a way to get streaming subscribers to stay in one place, customer churn is still high. Or, as Parks Associates describes it...

Deeper Dive—Who would buy DirecTV?

Although DirecTV is losing subscribers at a rapid pace, it’s not exactly a lost cause. Brett Sappington, senior research director and principal analyst at Parks Associates, said the satellite operator...

Cirrent Will Connect Your Smart Home Devices To The Internet Right Out Of The Box

As smart home technology gets smarter, so should the way in which these innovative devices connect to the internet. Enter the San Mateo-based company Cirrent and its newly minted automatic connection...