New Study Suggests Sports Content Is Best Antidote To Cord-Cutting

STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Among consumers who have cut the pay-TV cord within the last two years but who express any interest in returning to pay-TV, two out of five (39%) say sports channels are a reason to return, according to new survey by Frank N. Magid Associates. Additionally, nine out of 10 (88%) sports fans say they watch sports on a television set, with broadcast networks leading the way at 73% of respondents, followed by cable sports networks (62%) and general entertainment networks (60%).

Nevertheless, a growing number of sports fans are watching sports on the Internet:  Nearly two of five (37%) of all sports fans say they watch sports streamed online "often," while nearly three in five (57%) fans say they watch sports online in any way at all. These consumers typically gravitate to available larger digital screens: Computers led among 37% of respondents, followed by over-the-top (OTT) video delivery to a TV (26%), tablets (25%) and smartphones (25%).

These are among findings of a recently completed study by Frank N. Magid Associates for ONE World Sports, America's Network for Global Sports.  The survey was conducted during summer 2015 among 2,883 pay-TV and 317 broadband-only respondents across the country reflecting an expansive array of 18-to-64-year-old consumers.

"Sports remains the most DVR-proof form of video content," said Alexander "Sandy" Brown, President & CEO of ONE World Sports. "The excitement, immediacy and community around sports contests demand live viewing, whether that viewing takes place via an antenna, or a pay-TV provider, or via a live web stream. Whatever the format, the findings support that people want to watch sports live, and on the best – typically largest and most crisp – available screen."

Added Brown, "The data about digital viewing is consistent with what we're seeing throughout the television and digital-video industries. Digital video providers, whether they're targeting their services for OTT delivery or mobile devices, are actively seeking sports content to feed their new services and attract consumers."

Among general survey findings about cord-cutting:

• Twenty-five percent of all broadband-only consumers cut their cords within the last two years – but more than half (51%) have been cord-cutters for more than five years, or "cord-nevers" who have not subscribed to pay-TV;
• Women are as likely as men to have cut the cord within the past two years, at 25% each;
• Millennials (Adults 18-34) make up the majority (52%) of cord cutters over the past two years. Most (58%) of all cord cutting Millennials have cut the cord within the past three years.

Survey participants also were provided details about ONE World Sports and the global sports carried on the network – including baseball from Japan, basketball from China, hockey from Europe, cricket from England and soccer from the UK, Europe and Asia – and gave these responses:

• Among all females age 18-34, 16% said they are sports fans and 21% said they would watch a network like ONE World Sports;
• Among broadband-only females age 18-34, 15% said they are sports fans and 20% said they would watch a network like ONE World Sports;
• The portion of males age 18-34, overall and broadband-only, who identified themselves as sports fans as well as potential viewers of ONE World Sports, were roughly the same across the board, at approximately 28% apiece;
• Eighty percent of likely sports package cancelers said they would be less likely to cancel if ONE World Sports were added to their sports package. Nearly all (83%) said they are interested in four or more of the network's programs;
• 49% of recent cord cutters said they would be attracted back to the cord to watch a network like ONE World Sports.

"Among the findings, it was particularly gratifying to see that ONE World Sports over-indexes sports in general as a lure back to pay-TV for recent cord-cutters," Brown noted. "Since the majority of cord-cutters are Millennials, this response supports our view that younger Americans are not only increasingly multicultural, but are ready to embrace global TV content such as sports from around the world."

About ONE World Sports
ONE World Sports is America's Network for Global Sports, producing best-in-class, captivating live sports content from around the world.  With multi-platform capabilities and superior production quality, ONE World Sports is one of the fastest growing independent sports networks available throughout the United States. Currently available to more than 30 million homes nationally on cable, telco and satellite, ONE World Sports delivers live and exclusive coverage of some of America's most popular sports played professionally outside the USA -- basketball, baseball, golf and ice hockey -- plus sporting events with the largest global followings, including soccer and cricket. ONE World Sports is distributed through Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, Charter Communications, Cablevision's Optimum TV, Mediacom Communications, Google Fiber, Suddenlink, RCN and a growing number of systems through the NCTC.  In addition, the network's mobile app, Watch ONE World Sports, features a live stream of the network for authenticated subscribers and on-demand content for all users. More information on ONE World Sports and its availability in particular markets can be found at www.oneworldsports.com or consumers can call their television distributor. Watch ONE World Sports is available in the Apple and the Google Play stores.

SOURCE ONE World Sports

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