09/29/2023

Streaming TV is Entering its Jock Phase

Everyone, save for maybe Netflix, is clamoring to offer sports

Gather 'round, ye readers, I have a question for you: Are you ready for some football? Worldwide, where football is what Americans call "soccer," there's always someone, somewhere ready to answer "yes," to this question. In the U.S., where the start of fall means the National Football League is in full swing, it means watching pro games on Sundays, Mondays and, sometimes, Thursdays. In the Year of the Streaming Wars 2023, it also means having access to about half a dozen networks, streaming services, and other live sports channels.

Watching NFL games this year will mean accessing some combination of (deep breath): Fox, Fox Sports, the league's streaming service NFL+, ESPN (or ESPN+), Hulu + Live TV, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, NBC Sports on Peacock and CBS (for the Super Bowl). There are other options beyond these, some legal, some not. Watching college football involves a similar hodgepodge.

This has been the case for some time, for every sport in every league.

Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.