Sports content surges on streaming, as advertising gains steam

New data from Nielsen’s Gracenote reinforces the hierarchy of streaming programming: Live sports are becoming the centerpiece of the ecosystem.

Sports content has increased by 52% since January 2024 on five global subscription streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+ and Disney+, which includes Hulu content), according to the report released on Thursday. On free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels, worldwide sports programming has grown 30% in that time.

Of those subscription services included in the findings, Paramount+ now leads them in total sports programming, including individual games and events, as of January, after landing the rights to UFC matches. Its sports offerings have surged 219% year over year.

Gracenote’s findings come amid a huge month for live sports, from the Super Bowl to the Winter Olympics. And as marquee events increasingly migrate to streaming platforms, viewers are coming with them. For instance, in recent research by The Trade Desk Intelligence and Appinio, 27% of Americans said they are watching more live sports via connected TV (CTV) as opposed to 18% who said they are watching more on traditional TV.

Sports programming isn’t the only category expanding. Total catalog growth across the five subscription video platforms was 20% — though the share of U.S.-produced content has decreased, according to Gracenote.

About 42% of the content was made in the U.S., down from 44.7% last year. But Japanese content has more than doubled, seeing the biggest jump on Prime Video. On Netflix, Japan now ranks as the third-largest production country, behind the U.S. and South Korea.

But sports content is of particular interest to advertisers. According to the data from The Trade Desk Intelligence, 56% of Americans say they’re more likely to notice brands that advertise during sports programming.

The good news is that advertising is steadily rising as a major revenue driver for subscription video streamers. According to recent data from EMarketer, every major streamer that offers an ad-supported plan is projected to gain at least 10% of revenue from advertising, with some surpassing 20%.

Separately, The Digital Entertainment Group estimated that ad-supported subscription streaming revenue in the U.S. grew nearly 61% in 2025 from 2024, while ad-free subscription revenue grew just 13%.

“As consumers migrate to cheaper ad-supported tiers, advertisers gain broader reach on platforms more reliant on advertising,” EMarketer analyst Ross Benes wrote.

The Current is owned and operated by The Trade Desk Inc.