The past few years have seen streaming TV providers take full advantage of consumers’ growing appetite for on-demand sports viewing. What’s the Score? is Hub’s bi-annual deep dive into how sports fans have adjusted to this changing landscape and into the sports viewing options consumers value the most.
While fragmentation of sports leagues remains a challenge for viewers, since this time last year, the sports media landscape has made major shifts towards consolidation. Sports media giant ESPN now provides on-demand access to all live access to all ESPN channels, plus ESPN+, games, and betting. Both DIRECTV and Fox launched streaming sports bundles in 2025. Netflix’s exclusive deal with the WWE began in January, and Paramount + penned a 7-year exclusive deal with the UFC in August.
As we move into Wave 5, What’s the Score? will capture how fans are reacting and adapting to these changes. More specifically, What’s the Score? examines how fans engage with sports across different viewing platforms. How valuable is exclusive content to subscribers? Do fans continue to feel frustrated by fragmentation of sport events in some major sports leagues or are fans coming to see this as “par for the course?” Is it becoming more difficult to find and watch sports as more sports migrate to streaming?
Each wave also investigates important timely topics. In Wave 5, we’ll explore:
- Ability of fans to identify where they can watch their favorite sports
- Perceived value of exclusive TV rights to a league vs. partial rights
- Use and value of features/interfaces that help users better follow sports on TV
- Engagement with sports documentaries
- Sports betting
What’s the Score? helps anyone who creates, distributes, or advertises sports content better understand how much sports matter to fans, and what drives their engagement.
Source: Interviews with 3,773 U.S. Sports Fans with broadband access age 13-74