Study: Sports rights owners must diversify aggressively
March 19, 2026
Altman Solon has released its 7th Annual Global Sports Survey, Part 2: Unlocking the Full Value of Sports IP. As sports viewing continues to expand beyond live games to non-live formats, the study explores the revenue gap facing sports rights owners.
The study makes three key predictions about how rights owners, streamers and legacy media should modify their strategies. It suggests: “with streamers investing selectively and digital creators boosting reach but not revenue, rights owners must diversify aggressively to close the monetisation gap.”
Key Findings & Insights include:
– 42 per cent of fans (24-35 yrs.) are “very willing” to pay for live sports and a (perhaps) surprising 30 per cent are also “very willing” to pay for highlights and other non-live content
– Global streamers pursue sports rights selectively, favouring targeted, high-impact rights over volume – 45 per cent of executives say select media rights deals will be most common
– Sports streaming has already overtaken linear in Spain and Italy, and is very near parity in the US – less than 14 minutes disparity per week
– Piracy is prevalent, especially among under-35s with more than one in five sports viewers using unofficial channels
– 51 per cent of executives say creator-led and AI-generated content will increase the value of sports IP over the next 3–5 years
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