• by Wayne Friedman , April 4, 2025

Although streaming platforms are increasingly investing heavily in live sports content for hungry sports-consumers, the business can be fleeting, according to a new survey Samsung Ads.

Samsung Ads research shows that 75% of viewers cancel or pause their subscriptions at the end of the season -- although they do return when the season starts up again.

For streaming platforms, this means “few sports fans find value beyond live sports... highlighting that subscriptions remain beholden to the sports season calendar,” according to survey authors.

Samsung says 80% of “casual” fans have canceled pay TV to access sports via streaming, compared to 40% of “devoted” sports fans who have cut the cord.

The good news is that sports-specific channels seem to have more "stickiness" with devoted fans. This can be a benefit to networks such as ESPN+ and Amazon Prime Video, where those devoted fans tune in.

Casual sports fans are more likely to sign up for multiple broad-based entertainment and sports-focused streaming services to watch live events, including sports.

According to the survey, NFL and Major League Baseball were the most popular leagues among all sports fans. The NFL got a strong 83% positive score among all sports fans; MLB, 74%.

When it comes to casual sports fans, however, this group was partial to one specific sport: golf. They had a closer affinity for golf than average fully devoted sports fans, at 59% versus 33%.