There was a time when getting sports content required being close to a TV set, or there were no games for that day. With that also came the issue of game blackouts or content restrictions that meant the games might either not be available on the local channels, or they would only be made open to everyone several hours after the action has gone down.
Today, both scenarios have changed for the better. What changed, exactly?
Streaming Is the New Cool
People have now started turning to streaming platforms to get their games instead of having to wait for a TV. The reason for this is not far-fetched.
Besides the fact that the internet has now expanded to the point where that is even possible, there are a handful of other factors to consider:
- Reach – Imagine how many people are on the go when games are being played. This means that they will naturally not get access to the games, and would have to catch up on highlightsinstead.
However, with streaming apps, they can just connect to the internet from any internet-enabled device and get the same content without problems
- Cost – Cable can be very expensive, and many people are starting to come to that realization. This is especially true for those who are keeping their subscription on for the sake of thesports alone. Considering the fact that offerings like SlingTV starts at a meagre $25/ month, it is not rocket science why they would be preferred.
- Convenience – Following from the point about reach of the game above, there is also a kind of convenience that comes with watching the game on any screen you want – even if you did have a TV.
That means getting the game on either your mobile phone while curled up on the couch or on your office computer during break.
The Game Changers
Ushering in the new generation of sports streamers are a couple of streaming platforms like:
- YouTube TV – Being the biggest curator of video content on the internet, it is not surprising that they will branch out into this niche too. Offering their packages for as little as $40/ month, they give access to many channels where fans can get sports content from
- Sling TV – Depending on the plan you subscribe to, you can start enjoying sports from as little as $25/month. They even make the deal better with their 7-day free trial plan
- PlayStation Vue – Sony would not be left out of the entertainment scene, and they have reacted well with the launch of the PS Vue
- Hulu with Live TV – Yet another one of the options we love is Hulu with Live TV. Bringing a lot of rich channels on board for a competitive price, they are one of the streamingplatforms to beat.
The amazing thing about this streaming venture is that the sports creators themselves are getting in on it too. That is why we see the likes of MLB and NHL offering their content on MBL.tv and NHL TV respectively.
Reception from Fans
Looking at all the benefits of streaming sports as opposed to having to get a TV all the time, it is no surprise that this streaming market is a huge one.
A bigger indicator of just how big the market is can be found in DirecTV which pays out a massive $1.5billion to the NFL just to show their content on the network every year. Following that, the deal between MLB and YouTube TV is also another indication – despite the fact that MLB has a dedicated streaming platform of their own.
What games can you stream?
Nearly all of the major sports you can think of. To put that in another way, you can stream March Madness Final Four 2019 live, see all the NFL touchdowns happening in real time and catch all the Golf Masters updates via the internet.
No matter where you are at the time of the games, all you have to do is tune in and enjoy!
