Live Sports Are Fueling Streaming Growth, But Streamers Need an Off-Season Plan

Here’s a blinding glimpse of the obvious: streaming audiences love sports! But the cost of sports rights has grown to untenable proportions. The amount of sports content across the five global streamers (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+, Disney+) has grown by 52 percent since January 2024, according to Nielsen. Across the industry, streamers will spend a bottom-line-busting $14.2 billion on sports in 2026, per Ampere Analysis. The NFL’s looming renegotiations will be so expensive...