The way of following basketball is changing rapidly, thanks to the innovation brought by streaming. Today, fans can watch games anytime and anywhere, without the need to be in the stadium. This shift is making basketball more accessible, but also more global, opening the door to an increasingly wider audience.
According to a study by ExpressVPN, the rise of streaming is not only transforming the relationship between fans and the sport, but it is also creating new ways to experience sports, making it more interactive and engaging. Let’s take a look at what has happened in basketball.
The Global Growth of Basketball Thanks to Digital
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the quintessential model of how streaming is expanding the global audience. The NBA League Pass service experienced a surge in subscriptions worldwide during the 2021-2022 season, with impressive increases in markets like South Africa (+66%) and Thailand (+51%). These figures indicate the level of interest in basketball in regions that, until a few years ago, enjoyed little prestige in this sport.
Internationally, however, events like the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which have further fueled global interest in basketball, have also contributed to the increase in popularity. In 2019, this tournament attracted 3 billion viewers, with 160 million people watching the final between Spain and Argentina. These numbers demonstrate how the global potential of streaming to expand basketball’s audience is still waiting to be unlocked.
Exclusive Rights and New Opportunities for Growth
The success of streaming is due both to technological innovation and the marketing potential of certain sporting events. This is why major platforms have begun to invest heavily to secure exclusive rights to key events. This is the case with DAZN, which acquired the broadcasting rights for competitions such as the EuroLeague Women and the Basketball Super League, positioning itself as a reference point for fans of certain “niche” sports.
At the same time, the NBA has signed multimillion-dollar agreements with Disney’s ESPN, Amazon.com, and NBCUniversal, demonstrating once again how broadcast rights are now a strategic asset in the streaming market.
Competition Among Platforms: Rights and Features
If the broadcasting of certain leagues or games determines the flow of subscribers and viewers, the functionality and quality of streaming influence customer loyalty. On one hand, fans tend to gravitate towards platforms that offer better exclusive rights and thus better games; on the other, they notice and appreciate the quality of the streaming, the presence of extra content, and the ability to access features that personalize their participation in the event or make it more immersive.
In conclusion, streaming is transforming basketball into an increasingly global and inclusive experience. The growth, both technological and economic, is bringing millions of fans from around the world together and propelling this sport into the global spotlight.