WASHINGTON (AP) — For many dedicated sports enthusiasts, keeping track of their favorite teams has turned into a balancing act.
In August, they might activate an NFL package, drop it after the Super Bowl, and then subscribe to the NBA’s service before playoffs begin. Many continue to pay for cable just to access their local baseball team, while also adding ESPN’s new streaming service for college football.
This mix of costly subscriptions and cable packages is a typical scenario for many sports fans, as revealed by a recent survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It leaves fans tied to multiple platforms, often at a price that frustrates them.
About 40% of individuals who follow sports “extremely” or “very” closely rely on cable or satellite TV alongside a sports-specific streaming service, compared to only 20% of those who follow sports “somewhat” closely.
Streaming, Cable — or Both
Those who are most satisfied with their sports viewing options are typically users of multiple platforms, according to the survey. Approximately 60% of U.S. adults using both cable and streaming services express satisfaction with their sports viewing availability, contrasted with just over half of those relying solely on sports streaming services and about 30% of those with just cable.
John So, 45, an early adopter of cord-cutting, transitioned from a DirecTV cable subscription to its cheaper streaming option in 2020. He values the flexibility of streaming across multiple devices but sometimes faces quality issues, turning to other services like Disney+ and Paramount Plus when his DirecTV stream falters.
Subscribe, Unsubscribe, and Share Passwords
The survey further indicates that sports fans are more likely to frequently switch between streaming services compared to non-fans. About 60% of sports fans reported subscribing to a streaming service for a specific show or sports season in the last year, while half canceled a service after completing their watch.
Randy Alvarez, 35, describes his viewing habits as a “hodgepodge” of streaming options and subscription sharing after cutting the cord in 2022. He follows out-of-market teams, like the Las Vegas Raiders and the Golden State Warriors, but often can’t afford the added costs of various packages needed for full access.
Most Are Unhappy About the Cost
Many sports fans agree on one thing: it’s expensive. Approximately half of those following sports at least “somewhat” closely express dissatisfaction with the costs of their streaming and cable services, while another quarter are neutral on the topic.
The new ESPN Unlimited streaming service, priced at $29.99 per month, grants access to all ESPN networks and includes expanded NFL programming resulting from a recent deal with the league.
The AP-NORC poll of 1,182 adults was conducted from August 21-25, utilizing a sample from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
