New Gracenote Data Hub analysis finds sports program titles up 31.2% and individual games and events up 37.5% year over year, versus 13.8% growth in sports channels
NEW YORK, Aug. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, today released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis, showing that free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) sports growth extends far beyond new channel launches, with substantially more programming distributed across the ecosystem.
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56C`QmkAmk:>8 DC4lQ9EEADi^^>>I]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^|$hca_db^vC246?@E6\p\}:6=D6?\r@>A2?J\{@8@\Ga];A8n:5l~paghgeedQ E:E=6lQvC246?@E6[ 2 }:6=D6? 4@>A2?JQ 2=ElQvC246?@E6[ 2 }:6=D6? 4@>A2?JQ ^mk^Amk^5:Gm
kAm%96 ?F>36C @7 up$% 492??6=D 4=2DD:7:65 2D DA@CED C@D6 `b]gT J62C @G6C J62C E@ aec] ~G6C E96 D2>6 A6C:@5[ F?:BF6 DA@CED AC@8C2> E:E=6D :?4C62D65 b`]aT[ H9:=6 :?5:G:5F2= 82>6D 2?5 6G6?ED 5:DEC:3FE65 24C@DD up$% 4=:>365 bf]dT]k^Am
kAmt249 >62DFC6 42AEFC6D 2 5:776C6?E 5:>6?D:@? @7 E96 up$% DA@CED >2C<6E] r92??6= 4@F?E EC24<D up$% 492??6=D 4=2DD:7:65 2D DA@CED[ H9:=6 AC@8C2> E:E=6 4@F?E C67=64ED E96 3C625E9 @7 5:DE:?4E @776C:?8D] q642FD6 2 D:?8=6 DA@CED AC@8C2> E:E=6 42? 6?4@>A2DD >2?J 82>6D @C 4@>A6E:E:@?D[ EC24<:?8 E96> :?5:G:5F2==J AC@G:56D 2 7F==6C A:4EFC6 @7 E96 G@=F>6 @7 DA@CED 5:DEC:3FE65 24C@DD up$%]k^Am
kAmx? yF=J[ DA@CED AC@8C2>>:?8 2AA62C65 @? a_ up$% 492??6=D @FED:56 E96 DA@CED 42E68@CJ] %96 A2EE6C? C6D6>3=6D EC25:E:@?2= E6=6G:D:@?[ H96C6 DA@CED D6CG6D 2D 3@E9 56DE:?2E:@? AC@8C2>>:?8 @? 565:42E65 492??6=D 2?5 2D A2CE @7 =:?6FAD 46?E6C65 @? @E96C 86?C6D]k^Am
kAm$A@CED AC@8C2>>:?8 2=D@ 8C6H 72DE6C E92? up$% @G6C2==] v=@32==J[ up$% 492??6= 4@F?E :?4C62D65 `f]dT J62C @G6C J62C E@ a[`fa[ 4@>A2C65 H:E9 `g]eT 82:?D :? E@E2= G:56@ 5:DEC:3FE:@? 2?5 `h]cT :? %' AC@8C2> E:E=6D]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DF=E:?8 =2C86C DA@CED :?G6?E@CJ 8:G6D up$% AC@8C2>>6CD 8C62E6C 7=6I:3:=:EJ E@ 4C62E6 G2C:65 D4965F=6D 2?5 C65F46 C6=:2?46 @? 7C6BF6?E=J C6A62E65 4@?E6?E] |@C6 3C@25=J[ E96 7:?5:?8D DF886DE E92E 4@>A6E:E:G6 5:776C6?E:2E:@? 24C@DD up$% H:== :?4C62D:?8=J 36 D92A65 3J E96 C2?86 2?5 G@=F>6 @7 AC@8C2>>:?8 H:E9:? E96 64@DJDE6>—?@E 492??6= 4@F?E 2=@?6]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp3@FE E96 vC246?@E6 s2E2 wF3k^DEC@?8mk^Am
More from this section
kAm%96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcfde_d_\`U2>Aj9lca`ddd_bfdU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8C246?@E6]4@>Tau52E2\9F3TauTbuFE>0D@FC46TbsAC6DDTaeFE>0>65:F>TbsAC6DD\C6=62D6TaeFE>042>A2:8?Tbsa_ae\8?\52E2Tada_9F300TaeFE>04@?E6?ETbs0000_g\a_\a_aeU2>Aj2lvC246?@E6Zs2E2ZwF3Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8mvC246?@E6 s2E2 wF3k^DEC@?8mk^2m :D 2 D6E @7 52E2 G:DF2=:K2E:@?D EC24<:?8 E96 G@=F>6 2?5 4@>A@D:E:@? @7 AC@8C2>>:?8 2G2:=23=6 24C@DD =625:?8 8=@32= DF3D4C:AE:@? G:56@\@?\56>2?5 D6CG:46D W$'~sX 2?5 up$% 492??6=D] s6C:G65 7C@> vC246?@E6 v=@32= ':56@ s2E2 2?5 FA52E65 BF2CE6C=J[ E96 s2E2 wF3 4@G6CD p>2K@? !C:>6 ':56@[ pAA=6 %'[ s:D?6JZ[ wq~ |2I[ }6E7=:I 2?5 !2C2>@F?EZ[ 2D H6== 2D >@C6 E92? a[`f_ up$% 492??6=D]k^Am
kAm"b s2E2 wF3 C6A@CE:?8 A2:CD AC@8C2> E:E=6 4@F?ED H:E9 52E2 @? :?5:G:5F2= 6A:D@56D[ 82>6D 2?5 6G6?ED[ @776C:?8 2 >@C6 8C2?F=2C G:6H @7 AC@8C2>>:?8 5:DEC:3FE:@? 2?5 C6G62=:?8 492?86D 36?62E9 E@A=:?6 42E2=@8 2?5 492??6= 4@F?ED]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mtIA=@C6 E96 7F== "b a_ae vC246?@E6 s2E2 wF3 FA52E6[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 =2E6DE EC6?5D 24C@DD up$% 2?5 $'~sk^DEC@?8m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcfde_d_\`U2>Aj9lghcgeha_cU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8C246?@E6]4@>Tau52E2\9F3TauTbuFE>0D@FC46TbsAC6DDTaeFE>0>65:F>TbsAC6DD\C6=62D6TaeFE>042>A2:8?Tbsa_ae\8?\52E2Tada_9F300TaeFE>04@?E6?ETbs0000_g\a_\a_aeU2>Aj2l96C6Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmkDEC@?8m96C6k^DEC@?8mk^2mkDEC@?8m]k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmkDEC@?8mp3@FE vC246?@E6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmvC246?@E6 :D E96 4@?E6?E :?E6==:86?46 3FD:?6DD F?:E @7 }:6=D6?] (6 DE2?52C5:K6 E96 H2J E96 8=@32= >65:2 2?5 6?E6CE2:?>6?E 64@DJDE6> :?56I6D 4@?E6?E 2?5 2DD@4:2E65 >6E252E2[ 2==@H:?8 :E E@ 7=@H 36EH66? 4C62E@CD[ 5:DEC:3FE@CD[ A=2E7@C>D 2?5 25G6CE:D6CD] qJ AC@G:5:?8 F?>2E4965 56AE9 24C@DD dd|Z E:E=6D 2?5 g_zZ 492??6=D 2?5 42E2=@8D[ H6 A@H6C E96 >@56C? D62C49[ 5:D4@G6CJ 2?5 ?2G:82E:@? 6IA6C:6?46D E92E 4@??64E A6@A=6 E@ E96 %'[ >@G:6D[ >FD:4 2?5 DA@CED E96J =@G6 — :? f_Z =2?8F286D 24C@DD g_Z 4@F?EC:6D] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ G:D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcfde_d_\`U2>Aj9l`dcdgcahccU2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTau8C246?@E6]4@>TauTbuFE>0D@FC46TbsAC6DDTaeFE>0>65:F>TbsAC6DD\C6=62D6TaeFE>042>A2:8?Tbsa_ae\8?\52E2Tada_9F300TaeFE>04@?E6?ETbs0000_g\a_\a_aeU2>Aj2lvC246?@E6]4@>Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmvC246?@E6]4@>k^2m @C 7@==@H FD @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^=:?<^nEl_U2>Aj=l6?U2>Aj@lcfde_d_\`U2>Aj9lbchcf_cab_U2>AjFl9EEADTbpTauTauHHH]=:?<65:?]4@>Tau4@>A2?JTau8C246?@E6TauTbuG:6HpD|6>36CTbsECF6U2>Aj2l{:?<65x?Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm{:?<65x?k^2m]k^Am
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?l}*b__`fU2>AjD5la_ae\_g\a_Q ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^72DE\DA@CED\AC@8C2>>:?8\DFC86D\2E\>@C6\E92?\EH:46\E96\C2E6\@7\DA@CED\492??6=\8C@HE9\b_agde_df]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^72DE\DA@CED\AC@8C2>>:?8\DFC86D\2E\>@C6\E92?\EH:46\E96\C2E6\@7\DA@CED\492??6=\8C@HE9\b_agde_df]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt vC246?@E6k^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5l}*b__`fU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_ga__h__!#0}t($0&$!#00000}*b__`fU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_ga_Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am

