As technology grows at an ever-increasing pace, the world of sports broadcasting is also changing rapidly. Television viewing habits across America and the world are changing every year. Cable television has fallen out of favour and millions of subscribers have been cutting the cord everywhere. Over-the-top (OTT) streaming of sports has been a big reason why and people have been embracing it wholeheartedly. Even some of the world’s biggest televised sporting events like the Super Bowl and Wrestlemania have seen a massive increase in streaming viewership in recent years.

Is Streaming The Future Of Sports?

Sports Streaming Provides Unmatched Accessibility

The sporting world continues to evolve beyond traditional viewing and to keep up with the new choices made by fans; leagues, teams and organizations have completely embraced OTT platforms to provide unprecedented access. US Sports streaming trends are constantly pointing upwards. Here are some key things that are happening:

• Of all the sports videos viewed across the globe, almost two-thirds start on some kind of mobile device. This provides incredible opportunities to enhance brand awareness to the ever-increasing viewer numbers on OTT platforms.
• OTT platforms have also become accessible on Smart TVs today and users can enjoy their streaming experience on the big screen with unbelievable clarity. OTT platforms are also available for streaming through gaming consoles reaching an additional 41% of console owners in the UK.
• The social media pages of all OTT platforms can also go a long way in converting followers into viewers.

Sports streaming lets you watch games…and more

Before the explosion of sports streaming on OTT, most sports broadcasts just lasted as long as the game. However, in the world of sports streaming via OTT platforms, the fan experience is infinitely expanded and fans can be kept engaged for long.

• OTT platforms do way more than just stream games. There is a lot of exciting content available before, during, and after games. This allows fans to connect more deeply with their beloved sports and stars.
• OTT platforms have a lot of additional content such as athlete interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, analysis, pre-recorded extras, and even exciting contests to keep the fans engaged throughout the year (even during the off-season).
• OTT platforms can also help new fans access refreshed and reformatted archival footage.

Streaming services need to fix some chinks in their armour

Just like it is with cable TV, the audience count changes during sports streams as well. Some people can stop watching the game halfway through while some will only start watching after halftime. Scalability is a crucial aspect of OTT platforms. Technical difficulties, downtime, and server errors are a huge deal, especially during critical games. The involvement of technology giants in the world of sports streaming will also go a long way in fixing these problems.

Football players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are almost as popular (if not more popular) than the sport of football itself. Similar claims can be made about athletes like LeBron James and Tom Brady as well. When such superstars play, stream traffic becomes much higher and OTT platforms must do the needful to manage the surge.

People have loved sports for a long time and OTT platforms are going to take the act of watching sports into a new era. They will encapsulate the excitement and energy of a sporting event in a way that has never been done before, and all sports fans will be much better off because of that.