State of Sports Media 2025: The Fourth Annual Report
This in-depth report explores how U.S. sports fans are consuming media in 2025, from cable and streaming to radio, podcasts, social media, betting platforms, and beyond. Designed for networks, stations, streaming services, leagues, advertisers, and content creators, the report highlights audience behaviors, platform strengths, and emerging opportunities.
Now in its fourth year, the State of Sports Media report builds on year-over-year trends to show how sports audiences continue to evolve. The result is a clear, actionable view into how sports media remains the most reliable engine in today’s media economy, and how brands can connect with one of the most engaged and loyal audiences anywhere.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why sports fans defy general media trends, maintaining some of the highest engagement levels post-pandemic
- How live sports are keeping cable alive, even as streaming stumbles through fragmentation and rising costs
- What ESPN’s risky streaming transition means for audiences, advertisers, and the future of rights deals
- Where sports betting and fantasy sports have plateaued and what’s really limiting growth
- Which social platforms dominate highlights and engagement, and which ones are fading fast
- Why AM/FM radio still outperforms podcasts for sports audio reach
- How football’s dominance shapes the U.S. sports hierarchy and advertising spend
- Why there’s “no offseason” for sports fandom, with fans staying locked in year-round
- How digital aggregators are outpacing legacy sports brands in online readership
- What these trends mean for rights holders, advertisers, and content creators in 2025 and beyond
Please fill out the form below to have the State of Sports Media 2025 report open in a new window on your browser.