Published On: May 13, 2026 - Categories: Industry Insights

4 Key considerations for why a growing number of sports organisations are expanding to the big screen today

For decades, the old television set was the primary destination for watching sports. Then streaming changed everything.

Today, sports fans are no longer limited to traditional broadcast channels. They expect to watch their favourite teams across devices, from mobile and web to smart TVs and connected TV platforms. As streaming adoption accelerates, sports organisations that still treat TV apps as optional are missing a critical opportunity.

Expanding to Connected TV is no longer just an opportunity. It is quickly becoming a strategic requirement to remain visible, competitive, and relevant in the evolving sports streaming landscape.

Below are four reasons why sports brands need to expand their OTT services to TV platforms.

The living room is still where sports are meant to be watched

Sports may be consumed on multiple devices, but the largest screen in the home remains the most natural environment for the full event experience.

Connected TV adoption is now widespread across households. In the United States, about 89.5% of households now own at least one internet-connected TV device, and connected TV accounts for 43.8% of total TV usage.

This shift means the living room is no longer controlled solely by broadcasters. Streaming apps now have direct access to the same environment where sports viewing has traditionally thrived.

For sports brands, launching on TV platforms ensures their content is present where fans naturally gather to watch games together and share the experience with family and friends. Solutions like those delivered through StreamAMG, in partnership with Applicaster, are helping organisations bring high-quality viewing experiences to the big screen without the complexity traditionally associated with TV app development.

While mobile apps serve on-the-go consumption, Connected TV is where high-value, high-intent, lean-back viewing happens, making it the most important screen for premium sports experiences.

Fans expect seamless, cross-device experiences

Today’s sports fans do not think in terms of devices. They expect a seamless experience across mobile, web, and TV.

This behaviour is already the norm. Research shows that 74% of sports fans use multiple devices to consume sports content, moving between screens depending on context and moment.

This reflects how fans engage with sports today. They may discover content on one device, follow updates on another, and switch to their TV to watch the full game. In many cases, devices are used simultaneously, with mobile acting as a companion screen during live events.

For sports organisations, this means delivering a consistent and connected experience across every touchpoint. Expanding OTT apps to Connected TVs, alongside mobile, tablet, and web, ensures that fans can move seamlessly between devices while staying within the same ecosystem.

Modern platforms, including integrated solutions from StreamAMG and Applicaster, are designed to support this kind of unified experience, enabling sports brands to manage content, users, and monetisation across devices from a single framework.

Connected TV unlocks new monetisation opportunities

Connected TV is not just another distribution channel. It creates new, higher-value monetisation opportunities across both advertising and sponsorship, uniquely suited to the big screen.

Unlike mobile or web environments, Connected TV offers a premium, distraction-free viewing experience where audiences are more engaged and more attentive. This translates directly into higher-value advertising opportunities.

Industry research shows that connected TV advertising during live sports can outperform traditional TV campaigns by as much as 66% due to improved targeting and audience relevance.

At the same time, advertising investment in connected TV continues to grow rapidly, with global spending expected to surpass 40 billion dollars by 2027.

Connected TV also enables new monetisation models that go beyond traditional formats. These capabilities are reshaping how sports content is monetised on the biggest screen in the home, particularly when supported by flexible technology ecosystems such as those enabled through StreamAMG and Applicaster:

• Premium big-screen ad inventory that commands higher CPMs due to higher attention and completion rates
• Sponsorship placements and app takeovers, enabling teams, leagues, and partners to own high-visibility moments across the TV experience
• Interactive and shoppable ad experiences, including QR codes or on-screen prompts that allow viewers to purchase merchandise or tickets
• Personalised advertising based on user behaviour and preferences
  Dynamic ad experiences during live sports, tailored in real time based on viewer or context

These capabilities transform advertising from a passive experience into an interactive one, creating new revenue streams while enhancing the fan experience.

For sports organisations, Connected TV represents a shift from traditional monetisation models to more engaging, data-driven, and performance-oriented strategies built for modern audiences.

Connected TV drives stronger retention and reduces churn

In today’s fragmented streaming landscape, retaining subscribers is just as important as acquiring them.

One of the biggest challenges sports organisations face is “subscription hopping,” where viewers sign up for a specific event or competition and cancel shortly after. This makes it harder to build long-term relationships with audiences.

Connected TV helps address this challenge by creating deeper, more consistent engagement.

Viewing on the biggest screen in the home is more immersive and intentional. Fans are more likely to watch full matches, spend longer sessions on the platform, and return regularly for live events and related content.

Connected TV also supports more continuous engagement beyond a single match or tournament:

• Longer viewing sessions driven by live events and full-match consumption
• Habit-building through regular, lean-back viewing in the living room
• Increased content discovery, including highlights and archives
• Companion screen behaviour, where TV and mobile are used together

By anchoring the viewing experience in the living room, sports brands can move from event-based engagement to ongoing audience relationships.

Platforms that simplify access to Connected TV, such as the combined capabilities of StreamAMG and Applicaster, make it easier for organisations to deliver these consistent, high-quality experiences that keep fans engaged over time.

Connected TV is essential to the future of sports streaming

Streaming has fundamentally changed how sports content is distributed and consumed. Fans now expect flexibility and convenience across devices.

Yet despite the growth of mobile and social video, the television screen remains the most impactful environment for live sports. It combines scale, immersion, and shared viewing in a way no other device can match.

For sports organisations building direct-to-consumer platforms, expanding to Connected TV is no longer optional. It is a strategic requirement for long-term growth and relevance.

The sports brands that succeed in the next decade will be the ones that meet fans wherever they are, while ensuring the biggest moments still happen on the biggest screen.

Why acting now matters

The next wave of global sports events will accelerate the shift to streaming even further. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Cricket World Cup, and the 2028 Olympic Games are just some of the upcoming events expected to drive record-breaking digital viewership.

For a new generation of fans, streaming is not an alternative. It is the default.

If sports brands are not present on Connected TV when these moments happen, they risk missing the opportunity to engage audiences at scale when attention is at its peak.

Ready to bring your sports OTT experience to Connected TV now?

For sports organisations looking to expand their streaming experiences to connected TV, the process does not have to be complex. Through StreamAMG’s Blaze platform and its partnership with Applicaster, sports brands can launch premium TV apps across major connected TV platforms quickly and efficiently.

If you are ready to bring your OTT service to the biggest screen in the home, book a session with our team to evaluate your current streaming experience and identify opportunities to expand to Connected TV.

 

Enquire now