The clock is ticking down to 2021 when the major domestic sports rights in the US and the UK will start coming up for renewal. Thus far, pureplay sports streaming video on demand (SVOD) services such as DAZN and Eleven Sports have experienced mixed fortunes. Meanwhile, Disney’s ESPN+ launch in 2018 marked the arrival of the first of the big guns in the sports streaming space. It remains to be seen which is optimally placed to capitalise on the 2021 opportunity,  with success ultimately depending upon a winning combination of tech stack, social reach and commercial clout to meet the only modestly reduced expectations of the leagues. The stakes have rarely been so high. The winner could cement its role as the go-to sports provider for the next decade.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report:   ABC,AFL, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon, Apple, AppleTV+, CBS, DAZN, DirecTV, Disney, Disney+, Eleven Sports, English Premier League, ESPN, ESPN+,            Facebook, Fox, Gallagher, Premiership Rugby, Houston Rockets, Hulu, IPL, KFC Big Bash, La Liga, MLB, NBA China, NBA, NBC, Netflix, NFL, NHL, NRL, Serie A, TBS, Tencent, TNT, UEFA Champions League, UFC, Verizon, Warner Media, WeChat, WWE