Must-Have Events vs Hard-to-Find Games: The New Economics of Live Sports

Sports media is entering a period of rapid change: rights costs keep climbing, distribution is splintering, and leagues are rethinking how to reach fans who no longer live in a single bundle. In this "MediaTalk" episode, S&P Global Market Intelligence's Kagan team unpacks the globalization of sports rights, the shift of local games from collapsing regional sports networks to broadcast stations, and the accelerating move to direct-to-consumer streaming that promises reach but tests pricing tolerance. The conversation also flags how 2026-era mega-events and the rapid evolution of sports betting and prediction markets are adding new revenue streams — and new complexity — for media companies trying to balance scale, exclusivity, and profitability. If fragmentation is the new normal, who will win the customer relationship: leagues, platforms, or aggregators? How much more will fans pay before "must-have" sports becomes a subscription breaking point? More S&P Global content: Navigating the Chaos of Sports Media Rights Fragmentation Maximizing Sports Media Rights Value: Benchmarking, Negotiation, & Market Intelligence in 2026 Featured experts: Justin Nielson, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. Scott Robson, principal analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan. Michael Johnson, research analyst at S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan Credits: Host/Author: Mike Reynolds Producer/Editor: Sarah James www.spglobal.com www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence