Streaming services pivot to sports and original live events

Streaming services are increasingly diversifying their content strategies to compete in the VOD market. In Germany, public broadcasters ARD and ZDF lead the overall rankings, driven by high viewership for sports programs like ‘Sportschau’ and ‘sportstudio live’ following the second Bundesliga season.

Among private providers, Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Reacher’ has reached the top spot with 1.42 million viewers, while the revival of ‘Gladiators’ has failed to gain significant traction in the rankings.

To combat the high costs of traditional sports rights, Disney+ is launching original live sporting events. This includes ‘Max vs 100’, a karting race featuring Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen. On September 16 at Silverstone, Verstappen will attempt to overtake 100 competitors, including celebrities and fans, in a live broadcast intended to create exclusive spectator value.