The data is clear and the verdict is in… today’s sports fans are voting with their remotes, and they’re choosing streaming.
For advertisers, this signals both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. It just takes a new way of looking at things.
The Fragmentation Fumble
There’s a common misconception that sports, along with news, are one of the few types of programming keeping linear TV alive. The reality is that as viewers move to streaming, they’re bringing their sports viewership with them.
The numbers don’t lie. According to a recent VIZIO Market Research survey:
This migration is far from anecdotal. Sports rights themselves are following the audience, with major leagues scrambling to lock in streaming-first deals and even rolling out their own DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) platforms. Meanwhile, big tech is throwing cash and innovation at exclusive streaming rights, further fracturing where and how fans watch.
In the process, we’ve created a bit of a mess. Ask any sports fan today what it takes to catch every game, and you’ll hear a litany of frustration. The math is absurd. Just to follow a complete NFL season in 2024, a cord-cutter has to shell out over $1,600 annually to puzzle together the pieces of 13 separate streaming apps and subscription services. And that's just for the NFL.
Understandably, fans don’t like it. But they make the effort because they’re, well… fans. However, they’re not the only group that has suffered during this transition.
Eroding Brand Share of Voice
Advertisers face a tougher battlefield as well.
On linear TV, the competition was fierce. One typical NFL game, sixty minutes of ad time, and you’re elbow-to-elbow with 20,000 national and local advertisers across categories. Food, retail, entertainment, insurance, auto… you name it, they’re fighting for those precious 30-second spots.
What does that do to your brand? Dilution. You become background noise.
And now, as fragmentation explodes, it’s not just more expensive for fans to find their teams. It’s more expensive and complicated for brands to get noticed. Worse, the share of ad minutes in sports broadcasts is rising: 32% of basketball game time, 31% of football, and 25% of hockey is now ads. The value-per-impression shrinks as ad loads climb.
Fans Demand Simplicity. Brands Need Impact.
From consumers’ perspective, it’s a mess. Over 60% say finding games is “hard to keep track of.” They crave a single, unified sports guide for live events and streaming. “I want one resource, not a scavenger hunt,” one survey respondent complained (VIZIO x Suzy, 2024). And the resentment toward ad overload? Palpable. Fans don’t want more ads. They want the right content, easily accessible, and without the barrage.
The status quo both fails audiences and brand messaging. Spray and pray tactics in live sports is unsustainable.
The SportsZone Solution
This is where VIZIO’s Sports Zone changes the game.
For Fans:
For Advertisers:
When you cut through the chaos and make it easy for fans to watch what they love, they’re more engaged. VIZIO Sports Zone users spend over 10% more time viewing sports content YoY than they did before Sports Zone was available.
What’s more, centralizing the discovery experience offers participating brands a clean, uncluttered backdrop. No shouting in a crowded room. You get the full attention of a leaned-in audience, at the exact right moment.
A Future-Proof Solution
The landscape will only continue to evolve. Fragmentation will persist as leagues pursue DTC platforms and tech giants double down on exclusives. But the path forward for both fans and advertisers is about aggregation, simplification, and impactful placement.
Integrated platforms like VIZIO’s Sports Zone aren’t just a convenience. They’re a strategic necessity. They offer fans what they want (all sports, one place) and advertisers what they desperately need (high visibility, exclusive moments, measurable lift).
Sports advertising needs a reset. VIZIO Sports Zone delivers it.
Put your brand exactly where your audience is going, not where they used to be. Download the full Sports Zone presentation to learn more by filling out the form below.
Disclaimer: The information and results presented here are not guarantees of the future performance of VIZIO Sports Zone and are subject to factors which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ from expectations.