Live sports driving SVOD subscriber growth and retention

Live sports continue to play a significant role in streaming video-on-demand, according to Antenna’s Q4 2025 “State of Subscriptions” report focused on sports and streaming.

The report examines how sports programming influences subscriber acquisition, retention and engagement across streaming services. It includes data from virtual multichannel video programming distributors, league-specific offerings and regional sports networks.

Antenna analyzed subscriber data following the launches of ESPN direct-to-consumer and Fox One, which were among the final blocks of sports programming exclusive to pay TV. The company reviewed trends in vMVPDs to determine whether these launches affected cord-cutting behavior.

From launch through the end of October, Antenna estimated 3 million cumulative sign-ups for ESPN and 2.3 million for Fox One. These figures do not include existing Disney subscribers who migrated from other plans or users who activated service through a multichannel video programming distributor partnership.

Of those subscribing to ESPN’s offerings, Antenna found that more than half — approximately 1.7 million — opted for the new ESPN Unlimited plan, with the remainder selecting ESPN Select, the renamed ESPN+ tier.

Fox One, which features entertainment and news programming in addition to live sports, saw strong growth in October, with more than 1.1 million sign-ups during the month.

According to the report, sign-ups to vMVPDs fell to 4.7 million in the third quarter of 2025, a 12 percent year-over-year decline. Despite the drop, the category saw a seasonal increase in September, coinciding with the return of major sports leagues.

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YouTube TV, which holds exclusive rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, increased its market share to 44 percent in the quarter, up 6 percentage points from the prior year.

NFL-specific streaming services showed significant growth. Antenna estimated 3 million subscribers to NFL+ and 2.1 million for NFL Sunday Ticket during Q3 2025. Compared to the same period in 2024, NFL Sunday Ticket subscriptions rose 37 percent, while NFL+ subscriptions grew 22 percent.