Thursday, April 23, 2026

Notre Dame’s Streaming Service Shows Potential

Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Notre Dame’s brand is one of the strongest in sports, and its new venture — Fighting Irish TV — builds upon that by offering fans more content to binge.

The school’s streaming service is available on Apple TV, Google Play, and Amazon and includes everything from live games and interviews to archived games and highlights.

  • Notre Dame’s pro day generated more than 58,000 minutes of viewed content in one day on the platform.
  • The school is now considering a subscription model, though it’s not clear how much they would charge.

Because the Fighting Irish have no conference affiliation, they were able to sell broadcasting rights to NBC in 1991.

NBC’s most recent extension with Notre Dame was signed in 2013, began in 2016, and runs through the 2025 season. It’s worth a reported $15 million annually.

However, the school still makes sacrifices to stay independent. “There is no financial advantage to Notre Dame being independent in terms of operations,” Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick told The Athletic in 2019. “It costs us money. We would be much better off all-in with the ACC or any Power 5 conference.”

Andrew Focil, founder of WMT — the web developer Fighting Irish TV launched with — thinks other teams can get in on the OTT action, adding that conversations are already in the works.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin leaves the field following an AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Mike Tomlin Heading to NBC Sports as Studio Analyst

Tomlin was widely considered the top NFL TV free agent.
Apr 20, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) reacts after a basket against New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges (25) during the fourth quarter of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

NBC, Amazon Make Crucial Scorebug Errors in NBA Postseason

Both blunders involved non-existent timeouts.
Mar 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

NBA Viewership Up 16% in Year 1 of New Media Deal

The league faced heavy scrutiny last year for its declining ratings.

NBA Playoffs Set to Leave Local TV Behind in Streaming-Heavy Shift

The league’s new TV deals introduce a stark reality.

Featured Today

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever sits on the baseline and makes photographs during the Indiana Pacers game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Why Athletes Are Moonlighting As Sports Photographers

Athletes are swapping courtside seats for sideline cameras.
Quinnipiac women's varsity rugby
April 21, 2026

The Death of Quinnipiac Women’s Varsity Rugby

The sudden decision at Ilona Maher’s alma mater left players blindsided.
April 17, 2026

The Lawyer Steering the NIL Era

In the new era of college sports, Darren Heitner is everywhere.
blake griffin
April 14, 2026

Inside Blake Griffin’s Rookie Season at Prime Video

The six-time All-Star was initially hesitant to enter the media space.
Jun 19, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles against the Golden State Valkyries during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

All 44 of Caitlin Clark’s Fever Games Will Be on National TV

This season marks the first of the WNBA’s new rights deal.
Apr 10, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on against the Sacramento Kings during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
April 22, 2026

Steve Kerr Looms as Top TV Target Amid Coaching Uncertainty

Kerr previously served as TNT’s top game analyst
Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
April 22, 2026

How the Patriots Are Stage-Managing the Vrabel-Russini Fallout

Vrabel finally gave brief and vague remarks on the scandal on Tuesday.
Sponsored

Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media

Brandon Marshall on athlete media, life after football, building I AM ATHLETE.
April 22, 2026

PGA Tour Signature Event Ratings Momentum Slows After 2025 Surge

Four of this year’s eight signature events have already been played.
Apr 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) is defended by Los Angeles Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin (9) as he drives to the basket in the second half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
April 22, 2026

Play-In Tournament Viewership up 18% in Prime Video Debut

Stephen Curry and the Warriors aided the high viewership.
April 21, 2026

French Open Limits Cameras Amid Player Privacy Complaints

The French Open starts next month.
Apr 18, 2026; Fort Worth, TX, USA; The University of Minnesota gymnastics team poses with their trophy after finishing in fourth place in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics National Championships at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
April 21, 2026

ESPN Defends NCAA Gymnastics Broadcast After Minnesota Backlash

Minnesota blasted ESPN for showing its routines less than other teams.