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Sports Streaming Audiences Statistics: Platforms, Events, and Fans

Survey and event figures on sports streaming choices, viewing habits, major audiences, and app use.

November 12, 2026 7 min read sporthold.com Editorial Team

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Sports streaming audiences statistics: Global and regional platform choices

IBM’s online survey of sports fans ages 18 and older across 13 markets found that 28% of global fans who watch live sporting events selected subscription streaming as a platform they were most likely to use. The survey ran June 23–30, 2025, and its global results are unweighted. This measures stated platform choice among live-event watchers, not the share of all people who watched a specific game or the proportion of viewing time spent online. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

Regional results use the same population and measure. Subscription streaming was selected by 28% of U.S. live-sports watchers and 20% in Canada. In Europe, the reported shares were 30% in the UK, 16% in France, 32% in Germany, 30% in Italy, and 30% in Spain. These are percentages selecting a platform, not counts of viewers, so they do not rank countries by total audience size. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

MarketSelecting subscription streaming
Global28%
United States28%
Canada20%
UK30%
France16%
Germany32%
Italy30%
Spain30%

Share among sports fans who watch live sporting events; IBM survey, June 23–30, 2025. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

In the other surveyed markets, 38% of Indian live-sports watchers selected subscription streaming, compared with 36% in the UAE, 32% in Saudi Arabia, 23% in Mexico, and 27% in Brazil. The figures describe platform preferences in each market; they do not explain why preferences differ. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

Sports streaming audiences statistics: Viewer behavior and frequency

TVision’s live-sports chart covers January 1–June 30, 2025. It reports an Attention Index and viewers per viewing household (VPVH) for connected television (CTV) and linear viewing. The two measures are distinct: neither should be treated as a streaming-only estimate of total reach. TVision describes its U.S. opt-in panel as weighted to represent the country and labels the sports data P2+. TVision, State of Streaming, August 2025

Live-sports programmingAttention Index: CTVAttention Index: linearVPVH: CTVVPVH: linear
WNBA1211031.591.37
Premier League91951.411.43
NFL Football91961.641.58
NASCAR981001.501.46
WWE91901.651.53

TVision Panel, P2+; live-sports data January 1–June 30, 2025. VPVH means viewers per viewing household. TVision, State of Streaming, August 2025

The CTV and linear comparisons vary by both event and metric. WNBA’s Attention Index was 121 for CTV and 103 for linear, while VPVH was 1.59 and 1.37, respectively. For Premier League games, the Attention Index values were 91 for CTV and 95 for linear; VPVH was 1.41 and 1.43. NFL Football registered 91 and 96 on the index, with VPVH of 1.64 on CTV and 1.58 on linear. TVision, State of Streaming, August 2025

For NASCAR, the Attention Index was 98 on CTV and 100 on linear; VPVH was 1.50 and 1.46. WWE recorded 91 and 90 on the index, and 1.65 and 1.53 for VPVH. These readings show why the metric belongs beside the event in a comparison: the chart’s attention measure and household audience measure answer different questions. TVision, State of Streaming, August 2025

Sports streaming audiences statistics: Major event streaming records

Event releases offer audience figures for particular games and seasons, but their measures differ. Comcast reported that NBC Sports’ 2 NFL Kickoff Weekend games in 2025 averaged a streaming average-minute audience (AMA) of 4.0 million viewers. The September 4 Cowboys–Eagles livestream averaged 5.0 million across Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL Digital platforms. AMA describes the average audience during a minute, rather than the cumulative number of unique people who watched at any point. Comcast, NBC Sports Posts Largest Two-Game NFL Kickoff Weekend Audience In A Decade & Second Best All-Time, Averaging 26.5 Million Viewers Across NBC & Peacock

The September 7 Ravens–Bills livestream averaged 3.0 million viewers and was described in the release as NBC Sports’ most-streamed Sunday night NFL game on record at that time. This individual-game AMA is separate from the 4.0 million average across both Kickoff Weekend games. Comcast, NBC Sports Posts Largest Two-Game NFL Kickoff Weekend Audience In A Decade & Second Best All-Time, Averaging 26.5 Million Viewers Across NBC & Peacock

Amazon reported that the 4th season of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video averaged more than 15 million viewers during the 2025 NFL season, a 16% increase year over year. For the Packers–Bears Wild Card Playoff game, it reported more than 31 million viewers, clearing the previous streamed-NFL-game record by more than 4 million. These figures refer to different programming windows and should retain those scopes. Amazon, Q4 2025 earnings report

The same Amazon release said the 2025 Spurs–Knicks NBA Cup Championship averaged more than 3 million viewers, attributing that figure to Nielsen. The championship figure is an average; the release presents the Wild Card result as viewers and the TNF result as a season average. Those labels matter when describing the records side by side. Amazon, Q4 2025 earnings report

Sports streaming audiences: Audiences by age, device, and sports app use

IBM’s global table of the top platform used to watch live sporting events shows subscription streaming as the leading response among watchers ages 18–29, at 30%. It was also the leading response among watchers ages 30–44, at 33%. These are top responses for those age bands among live-event watchers, not estimates for every person in either age group. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

Device rankings measure a different population and choice. Among global fans ages 18–29 who watch live events or sports summaries and highlights, 33% ranked mobile phone or tablet first as their sports-viewing device. In the 30–44 age group, 23% ranked mobile phone or tablet first. Because the population includes viewers of highlights as well as live events, these percentages do not describe device use for live streaming alone. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

In the U.S., 8% of sports fans who watch live events or summaries and highlights ranked desktop or laptop first as their sports-viewing device in June 2025. This is a first-choice ranking, not a measure of whether someone ever watches sports on a computer. A device may be used without being ranked first. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

IBM also asked all sports fans about app use. Globally, 73% reported using at least 1 sports app, and 32% selected live-streaming apps specific to sports. These are adoption measures, not the reach of a particular broadcast or the share of fans who stream every game. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

MarketSports fans using live-streaming apps specific to sports
Global32%
India53%
United States27%

Share selecting live-streaming apps in IBM’s “Types of Mobile Sports Apps Used” table, among all sports fans; June 23–30, 2025. IBM, Sports Viewing Habits — IBM Sport Survey Report 2025

Sports streaming audiences: Sports-only services and fan engagement

An AP-NORC poll conducted August 21–25, 2025 among 1,182 U.S. adults through the AmeriSpeak probability-based panel found that about 4 in 10 U.S. sports fans use sports-only streaming platforms. The report names ESPN+, MLB TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, and NBA League Pass as examples. Use was higher among superfans: 6 in 10 used those platforms. AP-NORC defines superfans as people who follow sports very or extremely closely. AP-NORC, Half the public are fans of sports, but it’s the 1 in 5 who are super fans adopting sports streaming services

The same poll found that 3 in 10 U.S. sports fans watched a game at least a few times a week. Another 4 in 10 tuned into a game at least once a month. Among superfans, another 4 in 10 watched at least monthly. About 6% of sports fans said they had not seen a game in the past year. These responses describe viewing frequency and past-year recall; they are separate from service-use measures. AP-NORC, Half the public are fans of sports, but it’s the 1 in 5 who are super fans adopting sports streaming services

Among U.S. sports fans who use television or streaming services, 50% were satisfied with the availability of the sports events they wanted to watch, while 26% were dissatisfied. The question concerns access to desired events among users of television or streaming services. It does not isolate streaming platforms or identify why respondents held those views. AP-NORC, Half the public are fans of sports, but it’s the 1 in 5 who are super fans adopting sports streaming services

Sources

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