There was a time when cable TV had the world of sports wrapped up. If anybody wanted to watch a game live, they would have to either subscribe to an expensive cable subscription, or they would need to go down to a local bar or friends house to watch it. We’re talking about the late 90s here, a whole lifetime ago for many people, but still, this dynamic really highlights just how much things have changed.
Now, whether this has been for better or worse, it depends on who you ask. Cable TV subscriptions still have a strong presence in the market, especially in the US, and those who pay for streaming services and sports packages won’t see much difference in comparison to how the market used to look, you’re simply subscribing to a different company and a different medium with how you watch the game.
Following The Pattern Of Other Industries
The idea of shifting the sports industry into a digital, all-encompassing alternative was something that was not great news for those who worked in traditional formats of broadcasting.
Admittedly, though, sports have not followed the same pathway as other markets; it is a process that has happened much slowly, given how big these broadcasting rights deals are, how long they last for, and how, in many ways, they are the last bastion of hope for traditional media.
Many people I know, at least, only have their TV subscriptions to watch sports; for everything else, they either seek it out via a streaming service or an app, or they do it online on their phones.
Casino gaming is a market that paved the way back in the mid 90s. Again, at that point, there weren’t many people in the realms of traditional broadcasting, the multi-billion dollar juggernaut that it was, who were fazed by the prospect of online gaming.
It was a primitive form of the market we see today, with many sites not having the bandwidth to host live dealer games and tables, which is a far cry from what we see today, where live dealer casino games are a staple of the market.
Social media has also become a key part of marketing, and as you can see in the link below, giveaways, competitions, and other ideas that generate engagement are by far the best form of marketing for online casinos looking to establish themselves in such a competitive market.
The Big Hitters In The Streaming World
Since the beginning of the 2020s, we’ve seen streaming companies become dominant in TV and film. Netflix surpassed 300 million subscribers in 2025, a staggering number that eclipses any conventional sports broadcasting network.
With such a large amount of money coming in each month, they have since moved into the world of sports. Up until recently, they did not have the sort of capital that these multi-billion dollar traditional media companies have – but now it’s something that traditional broadcasters simply can’t ignore.
Having hosted the Jake Paul vs. Joshua boxing event and multiple NFL games, it’s clear that Netflix is gunning for the mantle and wants to be the NFL’s home. Now, understandably, they are not alone in this endeavor.
Although the 2024 Christmas Day game set viewership records, the 2025 game was not well-received by fans or critics, showing that the streaming giant still has a lot of work to do if it is to establish itself alongside some of the most prominent broadcasters in US media.
We’ve seen Apple TV move into the world of baseball, Amazon Prime with Thursday Night Football, and streaming giants DAZN capturing the market from the biggest professional boxing fights to UEFA Champions League rights.
It’s a highly competitive market, with a number of innovative, multi-billion-dollar platforms, and this combined attack from streaming companies has coincided with millions of people, particularly in the US, cancelling their cable subscriptions and opting for streaming services instead.
Capturing A Digitally Savvy Market
With so many people under 35 getting most of their sports news and highlights via social media, it is a natural progression for the live market to follow suit. Yes, there will be hurdles to overcome, and legacy media is not going to fully let go without a major fight; they still have a lot of capital and trusted brand recognition, which will help them keep hold of some of the market.
We’ve seen ESPN move into the streaming market, and legacy media has also invested significantly in developing YouTube channels to feed a 24/7 stream of news, highlights, and clippable content to a US audience in the millions, as well as a burgeoning global market.
It’s going to be a tough battle, and it might take decades, but by 2050, you’d have to think that legacy media will not have the same influential grasp on sports streaming as they have had since the early 21st century. It has already dwindled significantly, and all the evidence points in the direction that this is set to continue.