The availability of live sports motivates 1 in 4 new subscription video on demand subscribers, according to Kantar’s Entertainment on Demand (EoD) Special Report.
However, while live action pulls in the subscribers, wrap around programming, such as sports documentaries serve as an important subscriber retention device. The recent Netflix Beckham series was the most watched VOD title in Britain during October, despite only 38% of subscribers to the streamer listing sports among their top preferences. The documentary also heightened subscriber advocacy for Netflix.
“Sports documentaries and behind the scenes stories also prove to be a powerful loyalty driver, as people build more meaningful connections to their favourite (sports) stars and have one more reason to stay on the platform throughout the year,” said Andrew Skerratt, Global Insight Director at Kantar.
Unsurprisingly, football is the most popular sport in Great Britain, Germany, France, and Spain, contributing to 51% of sports-driven VOD sign-ups.
European sports fans with VOD and pay-TV [Kantar’s terminology] are paying on average €88 (£76) per month.
95% of sports fans in the United States are opting for VOD streaming, while penetration of cable TV (pay-TV) services has seen an 8% decline over two years. The quality of the commentators remains a major differentiator between services.
European women are 41% less likely to be sports fans than American women. With Wimbledon (tennis), Tour De France (Cycling), and The Formula 1 as the main attractions.
Only 10% of European female sports fans are interested in the Women’s FIFA World Cup.
American football is the leading sporting influence on subscription adoption in the United, followed by soccer, tennis, basketball, and rugby.
