The sports media industry may still have the upper hand in attracting audiences, but recent findings from Hub Entertainment Research reveal growing risks associated with rights fragmentation, platform overload and viewer frustration. The report, based on a survey of 3,802 U.S. sports fans aged between 13 and 74 and published by Hub, underscores both the enduring value of premium sports content and the mounting threat to fan retention.
The study shows that 72 % of avid sports fans believe sports are more important than anything else they watch on TV. It further reveals that 87 % of those fans said they were at least somewhat likely to subscribe to a new streaming service if it secured rights to a sport they follow—and among those under 35 this figure rises to 92 %.
Despite this potential, the industry faces a back‑lash. The report finds that 65 % of sports fans consider it a hassle to use multiple services and 53 % say finding the sports they want to watch has become harder compared to a year ago. Moreover, 63 % argue that having games spread across different apps makes it difficult to keep up with simultaneous contests.
Jon Giegengack, founder and principal at Hub and a co‑author of the survey, warned: “These findings prove once again that sports have unrivaled power to attract new viewers to a platform, and keep them engaged over time. But it’s critical for services to remember that with great power comes great responsibility: the splintering of rights is making sports content harder to find. The backlash will come bigger and faster from sports fans than those looking for scripted TV.”
For platform executives and rights‑holders, the message is clear: while the acquisition of premium sporting rights remains a formidable vehicle for subscriber growth, the infrastructure and user experience must keep pace with rising expectations. Brands that fail to streamline access risk losing engagement and facing churn from the very audiences they sought to lock in.