Even though sports programming has been slower to transition to streaming platforms compared to other types of content, due to long-standing broadcast deals and live events, the shift to streaming feels complete, with most major sports leagues and events available across digital platforms. As a result, we have seen viewership records be shattered throughout 2024. But we are raising some questions:
- Is viewership truly increasing for leagues like the NFL, or is it simply being measured more accurately due to streaming?
- Will viewership numbers decline as you need more and more subscriptions to watch?
- Could a sports league or team increase viewership by offering games on a free service?
Sports Streaming Continues to Boom: 2024 Highlights
The world of sports streaming continues to thrive, with 2024 marking a significant year of growth and engagement across various sports. From the global spectacle of the Paris Olympics to the fervor of college football, and the rising popularity of women’s sports, streaming platforms have become the go-to medium for sports enthusiasts.
Record-Breaking Paris Olympics
The 2024 Paris Olympics set new benchmarks in sports streaming. NBCUniversal reported a staggering 23.5 billion minutes of streaming across its platforms, led by Peacock. This figure is nearly four times the streaming minutes of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, which had 4.48 billion minutes of streaming. Additionally, the Total Audience Delivery (TAD) for the Paris Olympics averaged 30.6 million viewers across combined live Paris Prime and U.S. primetime periods, up 82% from the Tokyo Olympics, which averaged 16.9 million viewers.
NFL Viewership Records
The NFL’s 2024 season kicked off with record-breaking viewership. Week 1 averaged 21 million viewers per game across television and digital platforms, marking the highest opening-week average on record. The season opener between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens drew 29.2 million viewers, making it NBC’s second-largest viewing audience for a game since 2006. Week 2 continued the trend, with Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video attracting 14.96 million viewers.
College Football Kicks Off
As the college football season kicked off in September 2024, streaming services geared up to cater to millions of fans. Platforms like ESPN, Sling TV, and Hulu + Live TV offered extensive coverage of games, ensuring fans could catch their favorite teams in action. Week 1 delivered impressive viewership numbers:
- USC vs. LSU: This game drew 9.2 million viewers on ABC, peaking at 11.1 million. It was ABC’s third-best Sunday opener on record.
- Notre Dame vs. Texas A&M: The most-viewed ABC Saturday Night Football matchup in two seasons, attracting 8.2 million viewers.
- Georgia vs. Clemson: Garnered 8 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched Week 1 noon game on record.
- Miami vs. Florida: Drew 6.7 million viewers, the largest Week 1 late afternoon audience since 2017.
- North Dakota State vs. Colorado: ESPN’s most-watched Thursday opener since 2017, with 4.8 million viewers.
Overall, ABC averaged eight million viewers for its Week 1 games, marking its second-best Week 1 ever. By Week 2, the momentum continued with ESPN and ABC airing the seven most-watched games, led by USC-LSU on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
In Week 3, the game between Colorado State and Colorado drew 9.3 million viewers, making it ESPN’s fifth-best regular season audience on record. This game also propelled ESPN to its most-viewed college football regular season Saturday since November 2014 and became the network’s most-streamed regular season game ever.
The Rise of Women’s Sport
Women’s sports have also seen a remarkable rise in streaming viewership in 2024. Events like the Olympics, tennis, and professional basketball have drawn substantial audiences. As of January 2024, 35% of viewers in the U.S. watched women’s Olympic events, while tennis and professional basketball each attracted 22% of viewers. This growing interest is reflected in the increased time spent watching women’s sports, which saw a 16% year-on-year increase.
The second half of the WNBA season continued this trend, with games averaging 1.32 million viewers across ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and CBS, nearly tripling last season’s average of 462,000. The league saw a significant increase in viewership among diverse audiences, with a 60% year-over-year growth among people of color. The WNBA’s growing popularity is paving the way for greater investment and coverage in the future.
As we look ahead, it is clear that sports streaming is here to stay, reshaping how fans engage with their favorite leagues and events. With record-breaking viewership numbers across major sporting events in 2024, streaming platforms have proven their ability to deliver live sports to a global audience more seamlessly than ever before. However, questions remain about the sustainability of this growth. Are these soaring numbers a result of genuine viewership increases, or are they simply a reflection of more accurate measurement? We will continue to monitor and give updates on the sports streaming world. If you would like to continue this conversation, please reach out!
Contributor: Andrew McClelland
