The big gap in streaming video’s content mix has historically been sports. This is now changing through a combination of disruptive challenger sports subscription video on demand (SVOD) services such as DAZN accelerating its rights and territory offerings alongside the increased interest being shown by the tech majors – notably Amazon and Facebook – in streaming premium sports offerings. Accelerating this process has been the market testing of ESPN+, the first significant sports SVOD service to be launched by a heavily invested traditional pay-TV stalwart, Disney. With the future sports fans overwhelmingly digital in their consumption, and with traditional pay-TV being squeezed financially by subscriber decline, sports viewing is being rebooted for a post-pay-TV world where the tech majors are optimally placed to succeed.

Companies and brands mentioned in this report: Amazon, Amazon Prime Video, Apple, Apple TV+, BeIN Sports, DAZN, Disney,  Disney+, English Premier League (EPL), ESPN, ESPN+, Facebook, Fox Sports Asia, Hulu, Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), NBA            Netflix, National Football League (NFL), National Hockey League (NHL), Take Two Interactive, Twitch