Sports streaming is no longer just an accessibility issue. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
As sports leagues and broadcasters adapt to the changing consumption habits of consumers, more than a quarter of sports fans are now streaming sports to their mobile devices, according to new search and YouTube data from Google.
According to Google’s Sports Viewing Survey, which polled 1,520 adults in December that were between the ages of 18 and 54 and identified as sports fans, 30 percent said they have live streamed sporting events to their smartphones or tablets.
What’s more, 80 percent of respondents said they’ve juggled multiple screens while consuming sports, including messaging other fans, searching for player stats or live scores on their mobile devices or computers, while simultaneously watching the game on television.
“Sports fans want to watch on their own terms,” Google said in a blog post. “These days, people expect to be able to watch anything, anytime, on any screen – and sports are no exception. Sometimes getting the full experience means using multiple screens simultaneously.”
The addition of multiple screens means that the consumption of highlight videos and other sport-related content, such as interviews with athletes and funny videos, is also on the rise.
The number of people on YouTube searching for “highlight” videos has climbed 90 percent over the same time last year, according to Google search data. The amount of time people spent watching sports “interview” videos has risen 60 percent, while watchtime for “funny” sports videos on YouTube has risen 50 percent year-over-year.
“Sports fandom goes way beyond watching the game itself,” Google said.
Interestingly, searches for “how to” sports videos, such as how to spike a volleyball, throw a curveball or ice skate, have also been increasing.
The search data from Google come at a time when sports fans are increasingly considering cutting the cable cord, as broadcasters expand their over-the-top service options, leagues experiment with live-streaming on social media, and the NFL expands digital rights to all smartphones. Further fueling this is the use of social media as a conduit to post exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes footage, and offer second-screen experiences, such as interactive statistics.
In a poll of consumer viewing habits taken this October by PwC, 81 percent of sports fans said they subscribed to Pay TV in 2017. However, the vast majority said they’d willing to trim down on cable packages or cut the cord altogether if they no longer needed Pay TV to access live sporting event.
