City Research Online

Abstract

This article examines the growing involvement of global streaming platforms – Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix and YouTube – in the sports media landscape. While these actors have made significant inroads into live sport since 2022, the article argues that it is unlikely to become central to their business model in the way it was for pay-television providers. Drawing on platform theory, the study situates streaming services within the broader dynamics of the platform economy, emphasising the role of scale and transnational network effects in shaping content strategies. Through an analysis of recent rights acquisitions, the article demonstrates that global streamers adopt a selective approach to live sport, targeting packages that align with their brand identities and broader entertainment objectives rather than pursuing comprehensive rights portfolios. The territorial fragmentation of sports rights and the limited cross-border travelability of live sport further constrain its value for transnational platforms. These structural constraints are illustrated by the case of DAZN, whose territorially fragmented rights portfolio prevents the generation of transnational network effects, limiting its ability to scale globally and compete locally. At the same time, streaming platforms play an increasingly important role as strategic partners for sports leagues. Their global reach, technological capabilities and appeal to younger audiences make them central to leagues’ digital-first strategies. In particular, the article highlights the emergence of a new sports storytelling ecosystem, in which documentary series connect human-interest narratives with live competition. The article concludes that, while streaming platforms do not displace traditional broadcasters, they nonetheless reconfigure the balance of power in the media-sport nexus, shifting advantage away from rights owners.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Publisher Keywords:	streaming platforms, sports media, media–sport nexus, platform economy, platform theory, live sports rights, sports broadcasting, digital media industries, network effects, content travelability,global media, digital-first strategies, sports documentaries, sports storytelling
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
Departments:	School of Policy & Global Affairs School of Policy & Global Affairs > Department of Sociology & Criminology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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