Sports fans struggle to find live events as streaming fragments

MUMBAI: The game may be on, but finding where it is playing is becoming a sport of its own. A new global report from Gracenote, Nielsen’s content intelligence business, finds that the growing maze of channels and streaming services is leaving a sizeable share of sports fans struggling to locate live events.

Gracenote’s 2026 global sports fan report, Home Screen Advantage, found that 26 per cent of sports fans are always or often unable to identify which channel or streaming service is carrying a particular sporting event.

The problem is even sharper among younger viewers. Some 36 per cent of respondents aged 18-34 said they frequently struggle to work out where to watch the sports they want, highlighting a discovery problem that could become more significant as younger audiences increasingly consume content across multiple platforms.

The findings are based on an online survey of 3,000 adults across Australia, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, the UK and the US, conducted from June 29 to July 8, 2026. Around 500 respondents were surveyed in each country, with participants required to watch sports on television.

Gracenote believes the humble TV home screen could offer a surprisingly simple fix. As many as 85 per cent of sports fans said they want their TV home screens to show upcoming games and competitions involving their favourite teams and leagues, along with details of where those events can be watched.

Search engines are already playing a role, with more than two-thirds of respondents saying they use internet search to find sports coverage. But even that route has its blind spots. In the US, 32 per cent of respondents said search results always or often fail to provide accurate information about locally televised games.

The discovery headache could also have a direct impact on subscription decisions. Some 68 per cent of respondents subscribe to at least one service because of its sports offering, while half said they would be likely to add another service to access the sports programming they want.

To test the appetite for a more joined-up experience, Gracenote gave respondents access to a custom web demonstration powered by Gracenote On Sports. The interface combined real-time linear and streaming schedules with viewing options across channels and apps, dynamic statistics and direct links to content across platforms.

The response was telling. Some 91 per cent said bringing information together, including where to watch specific games, would make sports discovery easier. Another 67 per cent expressed interest in personalised schedules and statistics based on the teams and leagues they follow.

Time is another part of the equation. More than 45 per cent said a centralised sports schedule could save them at least five minutes when searching for a particular game or event.

And fans are not switching off once the final whistle blows. The report found that 77 per cent watch sports-related programming in addition to live events, while 38 per cent prefer highlights to full matches. That gives broadcasters and streaming platforms opportunities to keep audiences engaged before, during and after live competitions.

Gracenote On Sports is designed to bring those different pieces together through a single API, covering sports data, video metadata, schedules, viewing links and imagery across more than 75 sports and 340 leagues in over 50 countries.

Gracenote IDs link teams, leagues and events with broadcasts, viewing options and related programming, allowing platforms to build what the company describes as unified sports hubs.

Trent Wheeler, head of product innovation at Gracenote, said fans have more ways than ever to follow their favourite sports but are still struggling to find live games across the growing number of apps and services.

The report ultimately points to an increasingly important streaming lesson: having the rights to show the game is one thing, but making sure fans can actually find it may be just as important.