While 2020 has not brought much in terms of live sports thus far, the amount of people who plan to watch them online is still projected to grow. Digital live sports viewership is projected to increase 14% this year. Approximately 36.5 million people – 23.7% of total U.S. sports viewers – are expected to watch digitally, up from 32 million last year.
That shift comes as consumers pivot away from cable subscriptions and instead go with OTT platforms. Last quarter, the pay TV bundle business lost 1.8 million subscribers. Most of those digital viewers – 17.1 million – are tuning in through multichannel distributors such as Sling TV, Hulu, and YouTube TV.
But as more sports return from their pandemic hiatus, more fans will also find ways to tune in illegally. A survey recently found 51% of sports fans use pirate services to watch live sports, despite 89% owning a subscription platform.
Illegal Viewers:
- 42% who regularly use illegal streams watch sports daily.
- 31% said not having a game broadcast locally is a motivator for illegal providers.
- 29% have paid the piracy site.
- 16% don’t use illegal services.
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Botafogo owner John Textor inside the stadium before the match during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26465842_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jul 13, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Chelsea FC midfielder Cole Palmer (10) celebrates winning the final of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26636703-scaled-e1770932227605.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
