FANS WORLDWIDE are increasingly turning to streaming platforms to watch live sports, while sports-related consumption continues to grow across social media and multiple devices, according to a new study by The Trade Desk and Appinio conducted ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
In host nation Italy, 72% of respondents said they plan to watch the Games live in the coming month. Interest is even stronger in South Korea, where 85% of viewers intend to watch live despite an eight-hour time difference.
Viewing habits in North America reflect a broader shift towards connected TV (CTV). More than one in four respondents in the United States (27%) reported watching more live sport on CTV, with a similar trend seen in Canada (23%). In Australia, 37% of those surveyed said they subscribed to a streaming service specifically to watch sport and retained the subscription after the event, while 47% plan to watch the Winter Olympics live on CTV next month.
Historical data from Roku supports this upward trend. Households using traditional linear television spent an average of 17 hours watching the Paris 2024 Olympics, nearly double the viewing time recorded during Tokyo 2021. While linear TV reach increased by 17% compared to the previous Games, Roku’s streaming reach rose by 100%, with total streaming hours up 168%.
WARC Media’s Global Ad Trends report highlights both the challenges and opportunities created by audience fragmentation. Although competition for live sports rights has intensified, supplementary content such as behind-the-scenes footage and narrative-driven storytelling has resonated strongly with streaming audiences.
Further data from The Trade Desk underlines evolving viewing behaviours: 61% of US viewers planning to follow the Winter Olympics expect to watch highlights, 51% will keep up with sports news, and 35% intend to watch replays. In Canada and Australia, nearly two-thirds of audiences consume highlights, rising to 70% in markets including Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea. Sports engagement increasingly spans multiple formats, from short-form clips and highlight packages to news updates and online discussions.
Broadcasters and streaming platforms are also collaborating with social media companies to expand reach. TikTok and Warner Bros. Discovery recently announced a partnership to distribute Winter Olympics content to new audiences across Europe.
Advertising performance during live sports on CTV continues to show strong results. Research from MNTN found that streaming service advertising during major live events outperforms cable and broadcast placements by 66%. Netflix’s Christmas Day NFL games exceeded average NFL broadcast benchmarks for entertainment brands by 84%, while Peacock’s Week 1 NFL match in Brazil surpassed standard television advertising benchmarks by 116%.
Sports advertising is also delivering a meaningful lift in brand impact globally, particularly during major events. The Trade Desk survey revealed that 57% of viewers in Italy and 56% in Hong Kong associate sports advertising with greater credibility, while more than half of respondents in the United States (56%) and Canada (52%) said they are more likely to notice brands that advertise alongside sports content.
