How much do people spend each month to watch sports?
It’s estimated that the total monthly spend for live sports is roughly $122.93 per household, per month — and that breaks down to an average of $79.80 per month for traditional pay TV and an extra $43.13 per month for on-demand streaming.
Traditional pay TV service is the main cost driver at an average of $79.80 per month. The majority of folks don’t pay quite that much, but some people pay nearly twice that price:
- 34% pay $26–$75 per month
- 21% pay $76–125 per month
- 9% pay $126+ per month
Meanwhile, standalone sports apps are a smaller cost add-on for most, with an average of $43.14 per month:
- 29% pay spend $0, or don’t use sports apps at all
- 33% pay $1–$25 per month
- 4% pay over $126 per month
The majority of Americans (84%) spend money for their primary TV service, and 71% also pay for standalone sports apps. So while traditional TV takes up the bulk of spending, streaming options offer a way for folks to specialize their viewership and ensure they’re in control of what events they want to see.
How do Americans primarily watch live sports? streaming vs. cable
Though people may spend more on traditional TV services, nearly half (47%) of viewers tune in to live TV streaming from online applications like Sling TV or Hulu + Live TV to watch their favorite teams, whereas only about a third (33%) rely on traditional TV services.
Not to be overlooked: Over-the-air (OTA) antennas remain a great, inexpensive option that 11% of sports viewers regularly lean on.
Still, it’s apparent that people are increasingly turning to streaming for watching live sports because they can customize their options to keep up with their favorite teams and leagues without overpaying for add-ons and extra channels.
Answer | Stratified Answers (%)
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| Via over-the-air antenna (free broadcast channels) | 10.6%
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| "Via cable or satellite TV (Xfinity, Spectrum, DIRECTV, Dish, etc.)" | 32.9%
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| "Via live TV streaming (Sling, Hulu Live TV, YouTube TV, etc.)" | 47.1%
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| At a bar/restaurant/gym/etc. | 7.3%
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| None of the above | 1.0%
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| Other | 1.0% |
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And while it’s always great to get out with friends, the cost of wings and drinks may be a bit of a barrier for relying on bars and restaurants as a main source of viewership — only 7% of fans watch their favorite sports teams this way.
Live TV Streaming: The best live TV streaming services for sports are YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling, fuboTV, and others. These are an easy “cable replacement” for live sports because they bundle major sports channels, and often include regional sports networks (RSNs) too. In addition to having live functionality, many of these services also offer on-demand options for those who don’t want to miss the action but can’t quite fit it into their schedule as is, and would like to see more than the highlights.
Watch without cable or satellite service: With a budget-friendly price and a quick DIY setup, you can pair an over-the-air antenna for local broadcast games, and use a live TV streaming service (mentioned above) for cable sports channels.
Keeping up with every NFL game: Check out our NFL viewing guide that covers everything from the big broadcast networks, streaming services like NFL Redzone, and NFL Sunday Ticket.
Watch ESPN without needing cable: You can catch all the highlights and commentary on ESPN without a cable subscription.
Live TV streaming services for NFL games
Plus taxes. Req's purchase of Device. New customers only.
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*New YouTube TV users pay $67.99 for 3 months of the main YouTube TV plan (save $45), then $82.99/mo thereafter. Ends 6/30/26. New users only. Offer terms apply. No refunds. Cancel anytime.
The most-followed sports leagues in the U.S. (2026)
The NFL, NBA, and MLB dominate the top spots for sports leagues, with over half of Americans following the action via streaming and traditional TV services. The NFL takes the lion’s share (67.88%) of this viewership, making it the most-watched sport in the U.S.
The NBA (55%) and MLB (54%) aren’t too far behind — capturing over half of America’s attention — and the NCAA College Football league trails at 41% of sports viewers. NCAA College basketball for men and women’s leagues take a combined 31%.
Beyond that, less than a quarter of Americans follow sports like F1 racing, NHL hockey, NCAA baseball, and the WNBA.
Top 10 Most-Followed Sports Leagues
Answer | Stratified Respondents (%)
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| Football — National Football League (NFL) | 67.88%
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| Basketball — National Basketball Association (NBA) | 55.29%
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| Baseball — Major League Baseball (MLB) | 53.67%
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| Football — NCAA College Football | 41.11%
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| Basketball — NCAA College Basketball (men's and women's) | 31.06%
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| Auto racing — Formula 1 (F1) | 24.34%
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| Hockey — National Hockey League (NHL) | 23.67%
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| Baseball — NCAA College Baseball | 23.48%
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| Basketball — Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) | 22.64%
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| Auto racing — NASCAR | 21.68%
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| Combat sports — Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) | 19.31%
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| Soccer — Major League Soccer (MLS) | 17.48%
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| Basketball — NBA G League | 17.00%
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| Auto racing — IndyCar Series (IndyCar) | 16.68%
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| Golf — Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) | 13.50%
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| Combat sports — World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) | 12.94%
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| Combat sports — All Elite Wrestling (AEW) | 11.19%
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| Tennis — Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) | 10.59%
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| Combat sports — World Boxing Association (WBA) | 10.51%
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| Auto racing — Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) | 10.25%
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| Combat sports — International Boxing Federation (IBF) | 10.22%
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| Track and field — NCAA College Track and Field | 10.07%
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| Tennis — Women's Tennis Association (WTA) | 9.89%
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| Combat sports — World Boxing Council (WBC) | 9.74%
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| Combat sports — World Boxing Organization (WBO) | 9.71%
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| Combat sports — Bellator Mixed Martial Arts (Bellator MMA) | 9.71%
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| Volleyball — NCAA College Volleyball (Indoor and Beach) | 8.22%
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| Gymnastics — NCAA College Gymnastics (men's and women's) | 8.21%
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| Skiing — U.S. Ski & Snowboard | 7.33%
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| Soccer — United Soccer League (USL) | 7.29%
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| Combat sports — NCAA College Wrestling | 7.08%
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| Soccer — NCAA College Soccer (men's and women's) | 7.05%
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| Football — Canadian Football League (CFL) | 6.96%
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| Soccer — National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) | 6.84%
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| Tennis — NCAA College Tennis (men's and women's) | 6.79%
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| Hockey — NCAA College Field Hockey | 6.70%
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| Bowling — Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) | 6.69%
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| Combat sports — Professional Fighters League (PFL) | 6.49%
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| Golf — NCAA College Golf (men's and women's) | 6.08%
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| Golf — Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) | 5.84%
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| Swimming and diving — NCAA College Swimming and Diving | 5.82%
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| Bowling — NCAA College Bowling | 5.77%
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| Hockey — NCAA College Ice Hockey (men's and women's) | 5.41%
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| Softball — NCAA College Softball | 5.23%
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| Lacrosse — NCAA College Lacrosse (men's and women's) | 4.14% |
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Let’s break down why these services appeal to sports fans:
Amazon Prime Video: Most people turn to Amazon Prime Video for sports, along with everything else (shows, movies, events, etc) the service offers. And if you want to watch Thursday Night Football, Amazon Prime Video is your best bet, though you may be able to catch local games on local stations. APV also has marquee live sports inventory, along with sports add-ons depending on the season.
ESPN: A common go-to for sports fans who want access to ESPN’s streaming catalog, along with select live events. It includes everything from tennis to rugby to horse racing, so you can get your fill of just about anything sports-related that you find interesting.
NBC Peacock and Paramount+: Some events are platform-exclusive and tied to NBC and CBS’s broader sports coverage, such as Peacock’s college-level Big Ten Saturday Night football package, the NFL Wild Card playoff game, English Premier League soccer matches, and more. Paramount+ provides access to things like UFC events like Fight Nights and fights that used to be traditional pay-per-view events, PGA Tour and golf coverage, and international soccer events.
Apple TV+: With Apple’s sports programming, you can get Live Major League Baseball games on Friday Nights, global Major League Soccer matches, and it’s the exclusive US home for Formula 1 racing.
Do you need a helpful, one-stop comparison for all these sports packages and channels? Check out our guides:
Why watching live sports feels harder right now
When asked about the barriers to watching sports, fans say they are fatigued with costly choices, which makes them feel like they’re missing out.
Cost is the dominant barrier to watching sports live. Nearly 75% of people agree that live sports are becoming too expensive to follow their favorite teams and leagues (including 53% who strongly agree or agree).
In addition, 45% say they struggle to find which channel or streaming service a specific game is on, and 53% report missing a game they wanted to watch because they didn’t have the right subscription. All of this leads to a sizable 27% of fans saying they’ve turned to unauthorized broadcasts to get their sports fix.
Fan sentiment on live sports viewership
Statement | (%) Who say they agree* |
| It is becoming too expensive to watch teams/leagues I follow | 52.70%
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| I have missed a game because I didn’t have the right subscription | 53.30%
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| I struggle to find which channel or service a game is on | 44.90%
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| Streaming picture quality is worse than cable/satellite | 34%
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| I regularly use unauthorized streams because of cost/difficulty | 26.60%
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*Total Agreement represents respondents who answered "Strongly Agree" or "Agree."
It’s worth noting that buffering and resolution issues still plague sports streaming, driving nearly half of fans to stick with the reliability of cable or satellite. Thus, it’s important to ensure that you have a great internet connection or solid cell phone service to avoid these unwanted viewing issues.
Overall, it’s a great time to be alive as a sports fan, with more than enough options to catch the majority — if not all — of your favorite teams, leagues, and events. Whether you’re trying to top the fantasy leagues, make a few bucks off a big bet, or simply root for the home team, you can tailor your TV and streaming services to match your level of fandom.
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