Streaming Just Beat Cable: Here’s Why Sports Multiviews Are Next
Executive Summary
In May 2025, Nielsen reported a historic first: streaming surpassed the combined viewership of broadcast and cable TV in the United States. According to The Gauge report, streaming captured 44.8% of total TV time, edging out cable and broadcast’s combined 44.2%. This inflection point doesn’t just mark a change in viewer preferences; it lights a clear path forward for how sports content needs to evolve next.
The New Viewing Landscape
Since 2021:
Cable viewership has dropped 39%
Broadcast is down 21%
Streaming is up 71%
YouTube alone has surged 120%, now claiming a record 12.5% share of total TV time
Even free platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, and Roku Channel now outdraw entire broadcast networks. Consumers have spoken: they want flexibility, personalization, and control. They want options, and in sports, that means multiviews.
Fall 2025: The $30 Billion Sports Window
This fall, over $30 billion in global betting handle is expected to be generated from major sports events:
NFL Season (Sept–Dec): $16–22B
Bundesliga & Euro Soccer (Aug–Dec): $5–8B
Formula 1 Fall Races: $1–2B
Rugby World Cup (Sept–Oct): $0.5–1B
That means tens of millions of fans are not just watching, they’re engaged. They're tracking multiple games, switching between broadcasts, monitoring fantasy and live bets in real-time. The traditional “one screen, one game” experience no longer meets the needs of modern fans.
Why Multiviews Are the Future
Multiviews, being the ability to watch multiple live feeds, angles, or events simultaneously, are no longer a novelty. They’re becoming a viewer expectation. Here’s why:
Fans Follow Bets, Not Just Teams
With fan betting at all-time highs, viewers track spreads, over/unders, and player props across multiple games, often simultaneously.Fantasy + Red Zone + Betting Feeds
The NFL’s RedZone proved people love condensed, high-action formats. Multiview is the next evolution of watching your fantasy RB while tracking your parlay, all on one screen.Streaming Offers the Customization Runway
Unlike linear TV, streaming services aren’t boxed into fixed channels. They can offer personalized layouts—side-by-side games, interactive stats, live odds all without compromising the viewing experience.
Seasonal Events Demand It
The NFL’s international series (with games across London, Berlin, and São Paulo), F1’s global tour, and the Rugby World Cup will overlap like never before this fall. For global fans and bettors, one game at a time isn’t an option.
It’s Time to Move
The technology is here. The audience has an appetite. The business cases, especially tied to betting, ad personalization, and engagement, are stronger than ever.
If streaming is the king, multiviews are his crown.
Conclusion
Want to be where the puck is going, not where it’s been? In Fall 2025, it is your moment. As multiviews become the future of sports, it’s not one screen, one stream, or one story.
It’s all of them all at once.
