Research: 39% of US watch live content through streamers
October 22, 2026



Parks Associates’ research The New Live TV Model: Skinny Bundles, Sports, News finds that 39 per cent of US internet households watch live events or sports through an on-demand streaming service, showing the growing role of streaming services in delivering live programming.

The expanding mix of options to watch video is changing how consumers find and watch sports, news, and events, as live video viewing is no longer synonymous with pay-TV.


The research also found:

25 per cent watch live video through free ad-supported television (FAST) services.
21 per cent report they don’t watch live video at all.
“Consumers value live content but struggle to find and access it,” said Michael Goodman, Director, Entertainment Research, Parks Associates. “The challenge for providers is making live content accessible. Sports is a good example, with programming now distributed across multiple services and platforms.”

Consumer interest in live sports is growing alongside broad-appeal entertainment. According to Parks Associates consumer research, comedy (60 per cent), drama (56 per cemt), and news (50 per cent) are the most popular content categories, while 48 per cent report watching live sports. SVoD services continue to add sports, news and live events while FAST services build engagement through curated linear channels.

“Competition for viewers is increasingly about more than the content itself,” Goodman added. “Providers need to deliver an experience that makes it easy for consumers to find, access, and move between live and on-demand programming.”