We hear about an increasingly large number of households cutting the cord, and we’d expect that Super Bowl viewership patterns to follow suit, right? Interestingly, the data from our Super Bowl survey we conducted among 500 Americans aged 18+ years old who watched the Super Bowl paints a different picture - one that shows a big fanbase among traditional viewership methods.

The Cable Play

Against the odds, basic cable led the charge in Super Bowl viewership. With 44% of our surveyed audience watching through this platform, it begs the question: what keeps viewers loyal to cable for live sports? Is the reliability, ease of access, or the fact that cable subscribers are just more likely to watch the Super Bowl? Additional research may need to be conducted to really answer this question. But, whatever the reason, cable tv managed to maintain its stronghold as the viewing method of choice for nearly half of the Super Bowl audience.

Paramount+ breaks through the defensive line

When it seems that each major TV network has its own streaming platform, it pays to host the Super Bowl. ViacomCBS, the owner of both CBS (the network the Super Bowl was aired on) and Paramount+ (its streaming platform) was one of the big winners of Super Bowl Sunday. Our research found that Paramount+ was able to juke the other streaming services to become the second most popular choice, with 16% of viewers opting to for its live stream. This is a fascinating shift, as it indicates a potential gameplan for other streaming services in the live sports arena. Paramount+’s success could be a harbinger of a new era, where streaming services are no longer just for binge-watching series, but also for watching live sports.

The Streaming Bench

The rest of the streaming services lineup saw a more fragmented viewership:

• YouTubeTV: 9%

• DirectTV: 8%

• Hulu: 3%

• Roku: 3%

• SlingTV and FuboTV: each with just 1%

These numbers tell a story of a competitive field where no single player has managed to break away from the pack to score a touchdown. It highlights a market still ripe for innovation and domination.

Looking to the future

Based on these numbers, it’s clear the future of live sports broadcasting is on the cusp of big changes. With streaming services increasingly drawing viewers away from traditional cable, will we see a changing of the guard in the years to come, or will cable with its easy access to live sports continue to hold its ground?

Will we see more tailored broadcasting to various audiences, such as Nickelodeon’s broadcast targeted to kids?

One thing is certain: the Super Bowl is in a league of its own when it comes to live sporting events, and its ability to adapt to the changing tides of viewers’ preferences will be critical.