Four of the five leading subscription video on demand (SVOD) services have added sport to their offer, according to Gracenote.
The content data business unit of Nielsen reported Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+, have collectively increased sports programmes by more than 72% in the recent quarter;
Since Gracenote released its first Data Hub release in October 2024, sports programming, including exclusive NFL games, WWE RAW events, US Open tennis tournament matches, has become increasingly available across streaming platforms. Notably, four of the five SVOD services tracked by Gracenote have bolstered their sports programming, led by Disney+ and Netflix, with increases of 471% and nearly 100%, respectively. While Apple TV+ did not increase its sports content in the recent quarter, that will change as the new MLS and MLB seasons get underway and live games air on the service.
“Live sports programming continues to be an important driver of user growth, retention and engagement for streaming services,” said Bill Michels, Chief Product Officer at Gracenote. “We are also seeing that relevant metadata, such as synopses, scores, highlights and imagery have the power to help streamers build world-class user experiences that keep users engaged beyond the live game.”
A dramatic increase in sports programming on Disney+, largely the result of adding select ESPN programming, has shifted the distribution of sports programming across the five services. Disney+ now accounts for nearly 33% of available sports programming, just behind Amazon (35%), which previously distributed 54% of sports programming. Netflix accounts for just over 23% of sports programming.
Gracenote also reports that an increase in French content and a notable decrease in content produced in India on Disney+ has made France the third-biggest producer, accounting for 5.6% of the total.
