Sports rights growth in US outpaces TV market fivefold over decade

Spending on US sports rights has reached $30.5 billion in 2025, more than doubling over the past decade, according to new research from Ampere Analysis.

The figure represents a 122 percent increase from 2015, when rights spending totaled $13.8 billion. By comparison, combined revenues from broadcast, cable, and streaming in the US rose 24 percent in the same period, growing from $172 billion in 2015 to $213 billion in 2025.

Sports rights now account for 14 percent of total US television revenue, up from 8 percent in 2015. Ampere said the shift highlights the continued premium placed on live sports as media companies look to attract and retain subscribers in a fragmented market.

The growth has been driven in part by high-value agreements, including long-term National Football League contracts signed in 2023 and the National Basketball Association rights renewals set to begin with the 2025–26 season.

Daniel Harraghy, research manager at Ampere Analysis, said: “As TV markets slow, sports rights inflation continues. The huge hikes in NFL and NBA deals demonstrate how live sports continue to deliver unique value as a driver of audience reach and retention. By contrast, the more restrained approach in Europe reflects the tough economics of rights investment.”

Across Europe’s five largest markets, television revenue growth has exceeded that of sports rights since 2019. In the United Kingdom, rights spending has grown at twice the rate of TV revenues since 2015, while Spain has seen growth 1.6 times as fast. France and Germany have experienced little change in rights growth.

Ampere noted that the differences between the US and Europe reflect contract structures, business models, and levels of market competition.

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