How Sports Is Taking over New Hollywood on Connected TV

Sports is deeply intertwined with digital culture and consumer behavior, shaping how we search, stream, and spend our time online. The relationship between sports and culture is undeniable, with ripple effects across industries like entertainment, fashion, and technology. And as a result, sports is taking over connected TV.

Digital Search and Social Trends

The dominance of sports in digital search speaks volumes about its cultural impact. The Top 4 Google searches of 2024 — Copa America, UEFA European Championship, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, and the India vs. England soccer match — show how sports transcends borders and connects global audiences. Even though the NFL reigns supreme in the U.S., soccer and cricket dominated the global stage in terms of digital curiosity and online engagement. Sports figures also made a mark, with Mike Tyson landing among the most searched people after his hyped novelty boxing match against Jake Paul. This event streamed exclusively on Netflix, drawing a massive audience and paving the way for similar sports-driven entertainment hybrids.

Cultural Collisions: Sports and Fashion

Fashion and sports continue to intersect in new and unexpected ways. In 2024, Tenniscore — a cultural movement blending tennis aesthetics with high fashion — rose to prominence. This was amplified by Zendaya’s role in Challengers, a tennis-centric movie that blurred the line between sports and pop culture. Similarly, NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are turning pre-game tunnels into runways, with fans tuning in to see what they’ll wear next as much as for the games themselves.

The Taylor Swift Effect

Perhaps no moment in 2024 illustrated the cultural power of sports more than the Taylor Swift-NFL crossover. Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce sent NFL ratings soaring and made Swift the unlikely face of the league for a younger, predominantly female demographic. Swift-inspired NFL merchandise flew off the shelves, further proving how sports taps into broader cultural trends to drive engagement and sales.

New Hollywood’s New Playbook

All of the above trends are converging on connected TV, where New Hollywood streaming platforms are rewriting the rules for how sports are consumed, shifting away from just airing games to building ecosystems that engage audiences year-round. The NFL’s partnership with Netflix has helped bring sports to a broader, more digitally native audience. The collaboration extends beyond live broadcasts, incorporating exclusive behind-the-scenes content, interactive polls during games, and even halftime concerts like Beyoncé’s highly anticipated Christmas Day performance. This approach reflects how platforms are turning live sports into multifaceted entertainment experiences.

Amazon Prime Video has taken its NFL coverage to the next level with features like X-Ray, which overlays live stats, player histories, and game predictions on the screen in real-time. This interactive experience keeps viewers engaged during games and encourages participation through second-screen apps. Similarly, Apple TV+ has integrated its MLS Season Pass with custom playlists on Apple Music and exclusive player interviews, merging sports with music and storytelling to amplify fan engagement.

Connected Content

New Hollywood streaming services are well-positioned to attract sports fans by tapping into the many ways they can create content related to the actual competition. These platforms are doing more than air live event. They’re crafting narratives that extend the life of a single game, match, or fight. Netflix, for example, didn’t stop at streaming the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight, one of the most talked-about events of 2024. Netflix capitalized on the event (OK, let’s get real: hyped the event) by producing a mini-documentary chronicling the build-up to the fight, including behind-the-scenes footage, exclusive interviews, and training montages. This approach heightened the drama and drew in viewers who might not have initially cared about the bout, turning it into a cultural phenomenon.

Similarly, the success of Netflix’s Drive to Survive has inspired the platform to replicate the formula for other sports. With *Break Point,*Netflix brought the human side of tennis to life, offering fans an intimate glimpse into the athletes’ mental struggles, rivalries, and personal sacrifices. These shows are not just for avid sports fans; they’re tailored to engage broader audiences, from casual viewers to those entirely new to the sport. This ability to humanize athletes and craft stories has allowed streaming platforms to build connections with viewers who may never have tuned in for live matches alone.

Which, of course, translates to ratings. Which, of course, translates to advertising revenue . . . and bigger market capitalizaitons for New Hollywood streaming companies.

Other services are adopting similar strategies, merging sports content with cultural touchpoints. Apple TV+ is integrating its MLS Season Pass with exclusive documentaries on soccer legends and interviews with rising stars, which keeps fans engaged between matches. Amazon Prime Video has taken a step further with interactive content, such as live Q&A sessions with players and coaches, or alternate broadcasts featuring celebrity commentators who break down the game in a more entertaining, accessible way. These efforts create a more holistic experience, blending live sports with the entertainment value of reality TV and documentaries.

Streaming platforms are also embracing cross-genre storytelling to attract younger viewers who might not watch sports traditionally. Hulu’s recent collaboration with ESPN+ produced a limited series blending sports with social commentary, exploring how athletes are shaping culture both on and off the field. This type of content speaks to Gen Z and millennials, who are drawn to stories that combine sports with larger societal themes.

Streaming companies are creators of sports ecosystems that keep fans engaged 24/7. By surrounding the core competitions with complementary content, platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple are redefining how sports and entertainment coexist in the digital age.

Community Building

New Hollywood services are also experimenting with community-building tools to retain fans long after the final whistle. For example, Amazon’s partnership with Twitch enables live watch parties, where fans can react to games and chat in real time. Hulu has expanded its lineup of sports documentaries, catering to the growing demand for deeper narratives about the athletes and events shaping the sports world. By creating content pipelines that keep sports at the forefront even during the offseason, streaming platforms help ensure fans stay engaged and ready to tune in when the games return.

Platforms are also using AI to personalize the sports experience further. Algorithms now suggest game highlights, fantasy league updates, and related content tailored to viewers’ preferences. For instance, ESPN+ uses AI to recommend clips of key plays that match a subscriber’s favorite teams or players. Peacock integrates user data to highlight upcoming matches of potential interest during live streams. This keeps fans glued to their screens and drives a more personalized and interactive viewing experience.

The shift in sports streaming is about turning every match, season, and moment into a comprehensive digital experience. This strategy is reshaping how audiences connect with sports in the digital age. In 2025, we may find ourselves spending as much time exploring the surrounding content as we do watching the games themselves.

Here Come the Advertisers

Where there is culture, there are advertisers striving for cultural relevance.

Live sports continue to dominate as the gold standard for real-time, engaged audiences, and advertisers are capitalizing on this dominance by focusing heavily on connected TV (CTV) advertising. Unlike traditional TV, CTV offers precision targeting and interactive opportunities that align perfectly with the sports-viewing experience, making it a battleground for brands.

As more fans turn to streaming platforms for live sports, advertisers are rethinking how to deliver ads that resonate in these environments. Brands are embracing dynamic ad insertion (DAI), which allows ads to be tailored in real-time based on the viewer’s location, demographic, or even their favorite team. For instance, during a live NFL game streamed on Peacock, viewers in different regions might see localized ads for nearby restaurants, while younger viewers might receive targeted promotions for gaming consoles or streaming services.

Interactivity is also shaping the future of sports advertising on CTV. Platforms like Amazon Prime Video, which streams exclusive NFL Thursday Night Football and Black Friday games, now include shoppable ads that allow viewers to purchase products directly from their screens without pausing the game. This seamless integration of commerce into the sports experience is not only convenient but also highly effective at capturing impulse purchases.

Brands are also leveraging second-screen strategies to complement their CTV campaigns. During live events, viewers are encouraged to engage with ads through companion apps or social media. For example, a soft drink brand might run a campaign during a soccer match on YouTube TV, asking fans to vote on the game’s most exciting play via an app or X. These activations not only increase ad engagement but also amplify the reach of the campaigns across multiple channels.

Connected TV also provides opportunities for measurement and optimization. Advertisers can now track viewership data in near real-time, allowing them to understand ad performance at a granular level. This insight enables brands to adjust their campaigns on the fly, whether by swapping out underperforming ads or doubling down on creative that’s driving engagement. For instance, Disney’s ESPN+ uses predictive analytics to identify when viewers are most likely to be receptive to ads, ensuring that campaigns land at the right moment.

Sponsorships are evolving as well. Beyond the traditional 30-second ad spots, brands are embedding themselves directly into the sports experience. Streaming services are incorporating branded elements like sponsored game stats, virtual billboards, and halftime shows. For example, during an NBA game streamed on Hulu, a tech company might sponsor the “key performance stats,” displayed on-screen with the company’s logo, creating a subtle yet impactful presence throughout the game.

The flexibility and creativity offered by connected TV advertising are also attracting smaller brands that were previously priced out of live sports advertising on traditional broadcast TV. Streaming platforms like Roku and Pluto TV are creating accessible ad packages tailored to smaller budgets, democratizing access to premium live sports audiences.

What’s Next?

The convergence of sports, culture, and digital media in 2024 is just the beginning. As New Hollywood platforms continue to refine their sports strategies and experiment with new ways to keep fans engaged year-round, the influence of sports on our digital lives is only set to deepen. 2024 has shown that sports is more than a game. It’s a cultural cornerstone.