Trouble for consumers: The race to claim exclusive sports streaming rights has led some sports leagues to become increasingly fractured across services, which could lead to consumer discontent down the line.
- It makes sense for the MLB, which is dealing with declining viewership, to shop around streaming rights to several platforms in the hopes of seeing which drives the most new viewers. But if you’re a die-hard MLB fan, that means you now have to have an Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock subscription in addition to other broadcasting services to watch every game in the season. YouTube is offering its 15 games for free, but there’s no guarantee it won’t eventually paywall access.
- That can be a frustrating experience for consumers who already feel that the streaming market is too congested. Over half of US consumers have said they want a streaming bundle, and as sports leagues and more content continues to fragment across services, that sentiment may only grow.
Looking forward: YouTube can’t be ignored as a streaming competitor. It’s not only one of the most-used social media and digital video platforms, but is also free from the production and M&A costs of its competitors thanks to its user-generated content and the recent shutdown of its Originals program.