Gracenote, the content data business unit of Nielsen, has found that sports programme offerings across the top five SVOD services jumped 52% year-over-year.
This sharp increase, identified in the latest Gracenote Data Hub update, underscores the importance of sports content (live games and related content) to providers’ audience engagement strategies, the company stated.
The research also found that over the past year, Paramount+ has vaulted past Amazon Prime Video and Netflix to lead in streaming sports programming at the individual game and event level. Following its acquisition of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) broadcast rights from ESPN starting in January 2026, the service now delivers more than twice the sports content of any subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform, up 219% year-over-year. During the same period, the Disney+ sports catalogue contracted 23%.
In other findings, streaming content growth has extended beyond subscription platforms to no-cost, no-commitment services. Gracenote’s analysis of 2,060 FAST channels available worldwide revealed that sports content on FAST grew 30% year-over-year. With more than 200 dedicated news channels now available, news programming on free ad-supported streaming services increased 58%. Additionally, the number of movies and TV shows available on FAST rose 26% and 24%, respectively, year-over-year.
Netflix launches first daily live show The Breakfast Club
Netflix will stream US morning radio show The Breakfast Club daily on its platform from 1 June 2026, marking the streamer’s first daily live programme.
ITV launches Live Addressable+ with Omnicom
ITV, the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, has officially launched its live broadcast addressable advertising product, Live Addressable+, with an exclusive beta trial in partnership with Omnicom Media Group.
Enghouse Networks partners with INVIDI
Telecoms and media specialist Enghouse Networks and addressable TV advertising provider INVIDI Technologies have announced a new integration that reportedly expands advanced advertising capabilities across IP video environments.
Sports content races ahead in SVOD – Gracenote
Analysis by Gracenote, the content intelligence business unit of Nielsen, has shown that sports have quickly become a foundational part of the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) content mix and now make up 5% of overall programming on leading services.
Bitmovin wins MUBI deal
Video streaming software specialist Bitmovin has been selected by film company MUBI as its cloud VOD encoding partner for its streaming platform.
