Recent research by Ampere Analysis reveals significant viewer growth for streaming services with NFL rights in Q1 2024, led by Paramount+ and Peacock. This surge, boosted by the Super Bowl, highlights the strategic value of live sports in an increasingly competitive streaming market.
During a period of contraction in Hollywood, streaming services are reaping significant benefits from their investments in live sports broadcasting, particularly NFL games, according to a study by Ampere Analysis.
The research compared streaming video on demand (SVoD) services that have NFL broadcasting rights with those that do not. It revealed substantial viewer growth in Q1 2024, especially linked to NFL games and the Super Bowl, where the 49ers faced the Chiefs.
Platforms like Paramount+ and Peacock, which broadcast NFL games, experienced notable increases in the number of U.S. internet users utilizing their services—22% and 18% respectively. For NFL enthusiasts, these figures were even higher, with Paramount+ growing by 30% and Peacock by 28%. Amazon Prime Video saw a remarkable 59% increase in viewership from the same demographic.
Paramount+ topped the chart for the most significant increase in monthly active viewership among streaming platforms with NFL rights. This surge was largely fueled by the Super Bowl, which drew the highest U.S. TV ratings since the 1969 moon landing, particularly as it featured a close game and an appearance by Taylor Swift cheering on her boyfriend, Chiefs player Travis Kelce.
Between Q3 2023 and Q1 2024, all U.S. streaming platforms holding NFL rights saw an average increase in monthly active viewership of 14%, surpassing the 10% growth observed across all SVoD platforms, as per Ampere.
The strategy to stream sports is particularly scrutinized amidst the current challenges in Hollywood, where platforms like Paramount+ and Peacock are navigating the industry’s shifting dynamics. For instance, Ampere’s previous research indicated a significant drop in the number of scripted TV seasons ordered in the U.S. since 2019, a trend the firm describes as “Hollywood displacement.”
Minal Modha, Research Director at Ampere, highlighted the upcoming NBA rights distribution as a crucial opportunity for streaming platforms, stating, “Q2 of this year will likely see the awarding of the NBA rights, the last chance for platforms or streamers to get a seat at the table for a significant amount of time.”
She emphasized the critical role of top-tier sports rights in bolstering viewership for streaming services, noting, “The growth in viewership for platforms holding NFL rights shows how important tier 1 sports rights can be to streaming platforms, especially in an increasingly competitive streaming market.”
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