Why Canadian sports fans prefer live streaming over traditional TV
Live streaming will continue to deepen fan connections in Canadian sports.
Image courtesy Pexels
If you think about it, it’s true: we can’t get enough of sports. As Troy Media columnist Gerry Chidiac notes, that’s because it has the power to transform society. Sports is all about learning, adapting, and improving over time—a process that not only helps us in real life, but is exciting to watch others go through. That’s probably why it’s so exhilarating to see the world’s most transformative athletes face off against each other on the field!
As modern technologies continue to develop, however, we’re starting to change how we consume sports. A recent study from IBM reveals that Canadian sports fans now prefer a more accessible and convenient viewing experience—which is why they no longer watch sports via satellite TV. Now, over 65 per cent of them livestream matches on a mobile device.
However, today’s sports fans want even more than that. That’s why multiple sports industry actors—from betting platforms and streaming services to sports organizations themselves—have started improving on live streaming technology. The result? A more interactive way to watch sports in Canada.
Here’s how live streaming became the catalyst for making sports viewership in the country more active than passive.
The rise of connected TV
Traditionally, sports fans watch their most anticipated games via cable or satellite TV. However, the internet-powered connected TV (CTV) became more popular for watching sports once it became a viable option. It’s less prone to service downtime, requires minimal setup, and can even facilitate more simultaneous broadcasts on demand, making it more accessible and convenient to use. As a result, the LG Ad Solutions study “Stadium to Screen: Streaming Live Sports in 2025” finds that CTV live streaming is today’s top way to watch sports in the US, UK, and Canada. Here, hockey remains the most-watched sport via streaming platforms Amazon Prime Video and Sportsnet+. However, the study also finds that modern sports fans prefer live streaming because it’s capable of integrating other technologies. Because of that, CTV offers more ways to enhance viewing experiences in ways that deepen a fan’s connection to their favorite sports, teams, and athletes.
Active viewership through betting
“Stadium to Screen” lists sports betting as one of the biggest ways CTV makes sports live streaming more immersive, as it involves having fans analyze data and speculate on the outcomes of a match. Online betting platforms offer plenty of live stream-compatible features perfect for making sports viewership more active. Leading portal Thunderpick includes features where users can participate in crypto sports betting on live games. Its dedicated Live Mode allows users to place wagers on live in-play matches for sports ranging from hockey to soccer. Patrons can place bets and withdraw winnings using popular crypto tokens like Bitcoin. They facilitate decentralized transactions, so bettors can make faster and more secure deposits and payouts as games happen for a more seamless experience. That’s probably why LG Ad Solutions finds that a third of North American sports fans who use CTV plan to use sports betting platforms this year—and why, according to Statista, the user penetration for the global sports betting market is the highest in Canada at 40.8 per cent.
Live streaming is the new era of sport.
Image courtesy PHhere
Gamified streams for engagement
Official sports teams and organizations are similarly aware of the shift to CTV viewership, which is why they’ve launched gamified initiatives that engage fans both in the stadium and at home. Many organizations have set up rewards systems that fans can play even if they’re watching remotely, and the prizes result in direct connections between them and their favorite teams or athletes. Until 2022, for example, Formula E was the only sports event in the world to have FANBOOST. This initiative allowed fans to vote for their favorite driver, who would then gain bonus advantages during a race. Meanwhile, the platform VRTL.LIVE works with sports organizations across more than 30 countries to provide DigiSign as a fan reward. This offering facilitates meet-and-greets with sports personalities via video call, then gives fans a downloadable, social media-ready photo—complete with digital autograph—after it ends. With such incentives up for grabs, sports enthusiasts are further encouraged to actively participate during live streams.
Immersive sports live streams
Even CTV streaming platforms themselves are making sports live streams more interactive by using technologies intended to immerse fans in a match—even if they’re not attending it in person. That’s why Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment ended up partnering with Amazon, so it could start facilitating VR sports streaming. Through a new program called SportsX, fans can simply put on a headset and find themselves in the middle of a match—literally. In a 2023 demonstration at the Scotiabank Arena, users found themselves not on the sidelines of a Toronto Raptors game, but rather right on the court, with the illusion that athletes were playing the game around them. SportsX can also accommodate AR displays. In another demonstration—this time revolving around an NHL match between the Maple Leafs and New York Islanders—users donned smartphone-connected AR glasses. These allowed them to watch the game while viewing real-time statistics from NHL Edge, as well as a digital tabletop that tracked player and puck movements as they happened. In bridging the gap between the physical and remote sports viewing experience and even providing tools that can support related activities like betting, immersive technologies like AR and VR are making sports live streaming in Canada more interactive than ever before.
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