How media consumption is shifting towards streaming
SportsGrid COO Adam Kaplan explains how OTT services have emerged as a leader in the media consumption space as the brand eyes shift to casino content
Streaming has firmly established itself as the dominant mode of media consumption, reshaping how audiences engage with content.
While ‘cord cutters’ – those transitioning from cable – have steadily increased, we’re now seeing a surge of ‘cord nevers’ who never subscribed to cable or satellite TV.
This significant change in viewer behavior has allowed access to an entirely untapped audience that does not exist in pay TV. The shift comes from streaming’s ability to provide a more flexible, on-demand, and personalized viewing experience.
Nielsen’s January 2024 report revealed US households receiving TV content through an internet connection have increased by 210% in the past five years. Sports are a prime example, as evidenced with more NFL games being aired on streaming providers than ever before.
Sunday Ticket is now available on YouTube TV, while Amazon, Netflix, and Peacock are all getting national games. It goes beyond the NFL, as data from Peacock’s 2024 Paris Summer Olympics showed viewers watched 23.5 billion minutes, a 40% increase compared to all previous Summer and Winter Olympics combined.
Streaming is the best way to engage with sports fans on the most important screen at home.
The reason for this is because streaming provides fans with on-demand content, flexibility, and a personalized experience. We’ve seen that traditional broadcasts can’t compete, with an estimated 59.6 million US households switching to non-pay TV as of 2024, according to Evoca–emarketer.
As people move to streaming platforms and connected TVs (CTV), advertisers must focus on these formats. At SportsGrid, we are witnessing blue-chip brands redirect their advertising efforts towards our platform.
An advantage for advertisers is being able to use CTV data analytics to track engagement and measure ROAS (return on ad spend). This data provides a detailed understanding of viewer behavior, enabling highly optimized advertising campaigns.
Market fragmentation of paid streaming services makes the competition for viewership share tough. Add that to the fact that consumers are concerned about rising streaming costs, and it explains the rapid rise in Free Ad-Supported Streaming Channels (FAST Channels).
A Bank of America Institute study discussed ‘streamflation’ where the proportion of households spending over $100 a month on streaming services grew by four percentage points compared to January 2021. FAST channels are a more cost-effective way to consume content in an increasingly fragmented and competitive streaming landscape.
FAST channels come pre-loaded on connected TVs and are emerging within some paid streaming services. Growing rapidly due to their wide accessibility and low barrier to entry, FAST channels are benefiting from a tailwind corroborated by Evoca–emarketer data showing that 86.7% of reported cord-cutters left traditional pay-TV because of high costs.
SportsGrid, a leading platform for sports and betting enthusiasts, has kept ahead of the curve by producing 18 hours of live, original content each day, designed to super serve the gaming audience.
With SportsGrid sitting as the top rated sports-genre FAST Channel, all eyes are on the casino vertical. In the past couple of months, SportsGrid has announced agreements with influential personalities and content creators like Brian Christopher of BC Slots and BC Ventures, internet celebrity Paige Spiranac, and craps influencer Jeremy Elerick of the Color Up Club.
SportsGrid’s top-ranking position in sports and sports betting, combined with the company’s wide-reaching distribution, and roster of top creators and influencers positions the business as the leading multi-platform new media gambling content network.
Adam Kaplan is the COO at SportsGrid, the leading multi-platform gambling content network. SportsGrid has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 list in both 2023 and 2024.