Streaming giants bulk up on sports, with the major players dominating distro: Nielsen/Gracenote

Top subscription video services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video expanded their content libraries by about 5% in Q2, with sports programming seeing a major surge, according to new figures from Nielsen’s Gracenote. Netflix led the overall pack in catalog growth, while it, Disney+, and Prime Video now host the vast majority of streaming sports.Netflix’s content feast: The streaming giant, in particular, embarked on an aggressive acquisitions spree, ballooning its offerings by more than 18% in the second quarter. The expansion propelled Netflix to hold just over 20% of all TV, movie, and sports programs available across major platforms, up from nearly 18% in the prior quarter. While others like Apple TV+ (nearly 4% growth) and Prime Video (over 3%) also expanded, Netflix’s increase was particularly pronounced.Sports take center stage: Across the leading streamers, sports programming jumped nearly 8% in Q2, outpacing movies and TV shows. Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix now command a striking 92% of available streaming sports content. As thedesk.net reports, Netflix’s own sports library swelled by over 22%, though Paramount+ saw its sports offerings dip by nearly 9%.Finding the gems: “Overall content volume continues to rise but the CTV apps making this content available continually shift,” noted Bill Michels, Gracenote’s Chief Product Officer. He added that “effective content discovery helps streamers connect viewers to the entertainment they’ll enjoy most and get the most value out of each of the assets in their catalogs.”The content battlefield: With libraries expanding and sports becoming a key differentiator, the challenge for streamers is increasingly about guiding users through a sea of choices to keep them engaged.Meanwhile, in streaming circles: The U.S. market is seeing a significant uptake in ad-supported SVOD tiers, now making up 46% of premium subscriptions, while the trend of “stacking” multiple services is expected to decline as aggregation grows. Separately, the MENA streaming market is booming, projected to exceed $1.5 billion in 2025, with local content driving platforms like Shahid.