When we first began this project, it was under the hypothesis that Streaming TV had indeed surpassed traditional cable and broadcast as the way we watch television. As we dove deeper though, it became apparent that the storyline was bigger. Not only had streaming become the de facto way we watch our favorite content (including sports), but because it has grown so quickly it has made it hard for advertisers to catch up.
Could Streaming TV really have more than 50% of attention, but still be below 15% of total ad spend?
If so, the imbalance of attention to ad dollars would be a classic attention arbitrage opportunity.
And for the early movers? A defensible stake in the market while helping advertisers navigate something they want to be a part of but that has not been easy to execute with predictability and scale.
[FULL VIDEO LESSON AND DOWNLOADABLE DECK BELOW]
Streaming Live Sports Viewership
In 2024, 105M U.S. households tapped into streaming for sports, outpacing cable’s 85.7 million. This year, 2025, that number is set to climb to 118M.
Why it matters: Of the 132M census tracked U.S. households, approximately 118M are connected to the internet with at least one streaming service. This means that every streaming household has watched sports on Streaming TV.
The numbers don’t lie. The way we watch live sports, the biggest moments, the ones that we all mark on our calendars and make chili dip for, has shifted. So where’s the money?
Where The Digital Video Dollars Are
There are a few buckets to consider when helping advertisers to map out a streaming strategy:
- Digital Video – Video content, anywhere you watch it (mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, etc)
- Streaming TV – Content streamed via the internet (big-screen TVs in living rooms)
- YouTube – Anything that you can watch or listen to on YouTube (anywhere)
For the sake of a more rigid framework focused on the shift of linear dollars to streaming, we focused on the $27.47B STV figure for the larger presentation included below (video and deck). However, we encourage you to consider how your agency can create a better foothold for the larger $72.4B Digital Video slice of the pie, and most specifically, how you’re solving for the massive $22B opportunity that is YouTube.
YouTube alone accounts for 7.5 of every 60 minutes of television watched in the United States and is projected to deliver $22B in advertising revenue (compared to YouTube TV subscription revenue of $6B) in 2025.
What It Means For You
The single biggest challenge facing the Streaming TV supply chain is fragmentation. There are more than 200+ streaming apps available for download in the U.S., more than 100 of them being sports-focused. There are more than 800,000 shows and 100,000 movies available on demand at any given time. All of that accounts for more than 485M streaming app subscribers of which about 60% are addressable (can be served an ad). Of the 132M census tracked U.S. households, approximately 118M are connected to the internet with at least one streaming service which means the average household has 4 subscriptions, but knowing how averages work – you know that means some have like 7 or 8 and a bunch only have 1.
Which means that while Streaming TV advertising represents a massive arbitrage opportunity, the need for a unified streaming ad tech stack is more important than ever.
Watch the full video and download the deck below
