A new study looking at the issue of latency in sports coverage has suggested viewers would be willing to forgive the problem if streamers offer extra value such as full replays, alternative camera angles or personalised highlights.
The study, by Big Blue Marble, found that technical performance has become a direct driver of streaming revenue.
The company polled 5,027 consumers in the United Kingdom, US, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway in July 2026. Some 14 per cent of live sports viewers said they had considered switching providers because their coverage fell behind real-time action.
Among those who watch live sport, 62 per cent reported having experienced being behind real time, seeing a result or a social media reaction before it appeared on their screen.
According to the study, 54 per cent of sports fans would be willing to pay extra for at least one premium feature such as full replays, alternative camera angles or personalised highlights, rising to 80 per cent of Gen Z and 71 per cent of Millennials.
Looking forward to 2030, the study found that viewers want to be able to move between devices, control how many advertisements they see, and expect clips and highlights to be available almost instantly after live moments.
Krzysztof Bartkowski, CEO at Big Blue Marble Streaming and Cloud Media, said: “Every expectation consumers have for 2030 is a configuration problem. Paying according to the experience you choose, controlling your own advertising load and receiving highlights seconds after the moment cannot be delivered by systems that have to be rebuilt each time the commercial model changes. The question for providers is not whether the platform works today. It is whether it can absorb five years of commercial change without the viewer ever noticing, and whether it can carry live sport in real time while it does so.”
