Streaming Sports: Increased Confusion, Frustration, and Expenses

The struggle to catch all your favorite NFL games this season is definitely real, especially if you’re a die-hard Seattle Seahawks fan. As we all know, many games are broadcast on local channels, so you might need a digital antenna, a cable TV subscription, or a live-streaming service like YouTube TV ($83) to keep up with the action. But wait, there’s more! You’ll also need access to CBS games through Paramount+ ($13 a month), NBC games through Peacock ($11 a month), Fox games with the new Fox One ($20 a month), and ABC and ESPN games through ESPN+ ($12 a month).

And if you thought that was the end of it, think again. Exclusive Thursday night games on Prime Video require an Amazon Prime subscription ($15 a month). And that’s not all – if you’re not in the Seattle area, you’ll need NFL Sunday Ticket ($480 per season) on top of everything else if you want to watch all the games not carried on local broadcasts in your area.

This complex web of subscriptions is just a glimpse into the current state of sports streaming, where rights deals are fetching billions of dollars, and the landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented and pricey. With streaming media rights for sports increasing by 153% in the last decade, the amount consumers are willing to shell out for these live events is starting to hit a ceiling.

According to a Hub Research study, the average person already spends around $83 a month on TV subscriptions, a number that’s been relatively steady over the years. But the maximum amount consumers are willing to pay is around $86 a month, and those who subscribe to multiple services have already exceeded their limits.

If you’re a major sports fan looking to access all the games across various leagues, you could be looking at a monthly bill of $168.17, or over $2,000 a year. This cost far exceeds some of the priciest cable packages available, and even then, you might not have access to every sport you want to watch.

While the NFL and other major sports leagues defend their platform diversification as a way to offer fans more choices, the reality is that the current landscape is becoming increasingly expensive and fragmented. As media and tech giants place their bets on exclusive sports content to retain subscribers, it’s likely that not every wager will pay off.

In the end, fans will have to make some tough choices about which games and leagues to prioritize, as the cost of keeping up with all the action continues to rise. Loyalty to a team may run deep, but even the most dedicated fans will have to consider where to draw the line when it comes to their budgets.