Over the last decade, cable television has started to become obsolete. Because of this, streaming services have begun to dominate the field of viewership. According to an article from the PwC Network, professional sports organizations have realized that collaborating with streaming services will maximize their profit. However, this is not an ideal situation for paying consumers. 

Collaborations with various sports programs and streaming services mean that viewers must pay for multiple subscriptions just so they can watch games, due to some games being on different platforms. Opposed to how people used to have access to games while only having to pay for cable television, making things much more convenient.

While a majority of viewers pay for multiple streaming services, many have expressed dissatisfaction due to the overwhelming cost of paying for multiple subscriptions.  According to a survey conducted by Jack Caporal, testing streaming services and consumer sentiment, 47% of respondents spend over $30 a month on streaming subscriptions. 62% of respondents agreed that there are too many streaming options to choose from. 

Viewers get confused when paying for too many services, which means many people end up paying for more than they want, just because they do not know exactly what they are paying for. To people who are used to simply turning on the television and scrolling through channels until they find the game that they want, this change is extremely frustrating.

Those who are not necessarily technology savvy will struggle with simply turning on a game that they want to watch. Which raises the question: ‘Will viewers adapt to this new style of watching games, or will this eventually decrease the number of people who watch games in the comfort of their homes?’ 

Professional sports organizations have to eventually consider whether it will be more beneficial to return to their original way of broadcasting or if the new method of streaming services is the future of viewership.