Majority of Viewers Expect Problems in OTT Sports Streams
Sports fans are accustomed to OTT streams running slightly behind broadcast, and 72% of them expect bad service in one form or another, according to a new study called The Streaming Wars: Sports Report. The study was conducted by research firm YouGov and sponsored by streaming solutions provider Phenix.
According to the study, 64% of fans expect buffering, 42% expect delays, 32% expect poor picture quality, and perhaps most troubling, 30% expect a complete loss of service.
"The live streaming experience is broken, particularly in the sporting arena, where latency issues abound," says Phenix CMO Jed Corenth in the report's foreword. "The industry must address teh frustrating issues...plaguing everyone's experience, from the NFL to the UFC."
With such lack of faith in the quality of the OTT experience, it's no surprise the study found 63% of sports fans are reluctant to sign up or re-subscribe to sports live streaming platforms in 2018, and 34% would consider cancelling a service if it suffered issues. 41% would worry about missing key plays, and 43% would feel like they've wasted money if they had issues with the service.
Here's the good news: Sports fans are hungry for the services and features that OTT can deliver. 36% want to watch multiple games on different devices, and the same amount want to gain more insights into player stats and information. 17% want to engage with other viewers, and 16% want to access exclusive social media content.
The online survey of 2039 adults was carried out October 12-16, 2017.
Related Articles
Skinny bundles have made a lot of improvements in a short time, but until they can detail exactly what live sports they carry they aren't replacements for pay TV.
26 Apr 2018
While it offers no network or sports channels, the $16 per month price is attractive, and comes with an on-demand library and cloud DVR.
15 Nov 2017
When it's game time, sports fans are happy to reach for the nearest connected device to see their favorite team. But they're surprisingly unaware of TV Everywhere options.
20 Oct 2017
Companies and Suppliers Mentioned