Americans love sports, but the way they are viewing their favorite games is changing as streaming and digital TV changes. According to a new report from Reviews.org, more than 36 percent of viewers are still choosing cable as their main source for sports. 

However, an increasing number of viewers are choosing to watch sports on streaming platforms. New stats show that 29 percent of viewers are watching sports through streaming services such as Amazon Prime, while TV streaming services like Hulu have seen a viewership increase to 22 percent. 

Traditional viewing sources like the TV air antenna remain popular with 8 percent of viewers, while 5 percent choose to watch at a community venue like a local gym or bar. 

Overall, live sporting events continue to draw in viewers in record numbers. In 2021 more than 57 million viewers watched digital live sports at least once per month. This is expected to grow to 90 million by 2025 according to Statista.

The kind of programs viewers are choosing to watch is changing as the face and culture of the U.S. shifts away from traditional favorites like baseball and hockey and embraces soccer and e-sports. The most popular sport globally is soccer with a reported 3.5 billion fans, followed by basketball, hockey, tennis and volleyball. 

Sports betting outfit Play Today reports that more than 54 million viewers watched the 2023 NFL draft. Meanwhile, women’s soccer saw a dip in viewership by 10 percent. This is believed to be due to global time zone differences for many of the popular women’s soccer tournaments. 

Play Today predicts that more than 300 million viewers will watch e-sports programming in 2023, with China having the largest viewership at 40 percent. 

Experts believe the increased presence of celebrities as promoters of digital sports events will continue to push viewership up in the future.