Sports now accounts for 5% of top SVOD catalogs

Sports programming continued to expand across major subscription video-on-demand platforms and now represents 5% of overall content catalogs, according to new analysis from Gracenote.

The findings, released as part of the Q2 2026 update to the “Gracenote Data Hub,” showed that HBO Max offered the largest share of sports programming among major global streamers tracked by the service. HBO Max accounted for 35% of available sports content and 42% of sports programming at the individual game and event level, Gracenote said.

The latest update added HBO Max to Gracenote’s quarterly tracking alongside Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+.

In November 2024, sports represented 1.4% of catalogs across Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+, according to Gracenote. Over the past 18 months, that figure more than doubled to 3.3% across those five services. With HBO Max included, sports now represents 5% of total content across the tracked platforms.

Gracenote said there are now nearly 38,500 sports shows, episodes, games and events available across the leading global SVOD services.

After HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video accounted for 25% of sports content among the tracked services, followed by Netflix at 16% and Disney+ at 14%.

At the individual game and event level, Paramount+ previously led Gracenote’s Q1 2026 analysis with 30% of sports programming. The addition of HBO Max moved it ahead with 42% of that category.

The report also noted that Paramount Skydance’s planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery could further strengthen the combined company’s position in streaming sports.

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Gracenote also reported continued growth in free ad-supported streaming television, or FAST, channels. The number of FAST channels increased 19% year over year, with entertainment, sports, news and reality programming representing the largest channel genres.

News channels posted the fastest annual growth at 57%, according to the report. Gracenote added that 37% of content on FAST sports channels consisted of live sports events.

The “Gracenote Data Hub,” launched in November 2024, tracks programming across six global SVOD services and more than 2,100 FAST channels using Gracenote Global Video Data.

Earlier Gracenote Data Hub findings showed sports programming across the top five subscription video-on-demand platforms increased 52% year over year. The report found that overall catalog volume across Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+ grew 20% compared with January 2025, while sports content at the individual game and event level increased 52%. TV shows rose 20%, movies increased 21% and sports programs grew 12.5% across the services.