Quarterbacks Jared Goff of the Rams and Tom Brady of the Patriots speak after New England’s 26-10 victory on December 4, 2016. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
Fans will have more options to stream Sunday night’s Super Bowl LIII than in any other year without the need to authenticate a cable subscription.
A change in NFL media policy before the season allows anyone with a smartphone to stream games available in his or her market. CBS is broadcasting the Patriots-Rams matchup, and that feed will be available on linear TV and on streaming via the CBS Sports, CBS All Access, Yahoo Sports, and NFL apps.
Digital marketing agency Adtaxi projects a 160-percent increase in Super Bowl streaming viewership this season compared to last year. Its estimate is that one in five viewers will be tuning in via a streaming service.
Independent research company OpenSignal rated the 29 U.S. metro markets on metrics such as video loading time, stalling ratio, and picture quality. OpenSignal rated Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Baltimore as the top three cities; Nashville, Green Bay, and Houston ranked as the bottom three. The Patriots’ home market, Boston, was seventh while the Rams’ home turf of Los Angeles came in 16th place.
Among carriers, the study deemed Verizon as the top choice for a good mobile viewing experience ahead of T-Mobile, Sprint, and then AT&T.
NBC, which broadcast last year’s Super Bowl LII, recorded an average-minute audience (AMA) of 2.02 million viewers, which was a Super Bowl record.
“As new streaming services and content options emerge left and right, consumers are increasingly finding that their television needs can be met entirely through digital platforms—including watching live sports,” Chris Loretto, EVP of Adtaxi, said in a statement. “Based on the exponential shift in our data, we may well see a day when Super Bowl streaming overtakes traditional TV viewership completely.”
