Super Bowl viewing is reaching a tipping point between cable and streaming

The way Americans watch the Super Bowl is changing, and quickly. While the event itself still commands mass attention, the platforms delivering it are in flux, with streaming steadily closing the gap on traditional cable TV. For streaming brands, this shift represents both a validation of their growing role in live sports and a reminder that scale alone isn’t enough to win long-term loyalty.

Based on a nationally representative survey of 2,000 working-age US consumers, this article explores how viewers plan to watch the Super Bowl, where streaming is gaining ground, and what actually drives audiences to choose digital platforms over cable.

Streaming has caught up with cable – but not replaced it

Between January 2025 and January 2026, Super Bowl viewing habits shifted noticeably. Cable TV viewership fell by four percentage points, from 47% to 43%, while streaming rose by the same margin, from 39% to 43%. The result is a dead heat between the two methods, marking a significant moment in the evolution of live sports viewing.

This change hasn’t been driven by experimentation with alternative formats. Recording the game to watch later and other viewing methods remain marginal, accounting for just 3–4% of viewers combined across both years. Similarly, the proportion of viewers who are undecided about how they’ll watch has remained stable at 11%, suggesting that most consumers already have a clear sense of their preferred setup.

In other words, this isn’t about viewers hesitating or delaying decisions. It’s a direct substitution effect: streaming is gaining viewers at exactly the same rate that cable is losing them. For streaming brands, that signals momentum – but also intensifying competition, both with cable providers and with each other.

Age still dictates how people watch live sports

Despite the overall tie between cable and streaming, age remains the clearest dividing line in Super Bowl viewing behaviour. Streaming dominance among younger audiences contrasts sharply with the continued strength of cable among older viewers.

Among 18–24 year olds, streaming is the most popular option at 47%, compared to 41% for cable TV. Streaming adoption peaks with 25–34 year olds at 48%, outperforming cable by nine percentage points and marking this group as the strongest digital-first audience.

The balance begins to shift in the 45–54 age bracket, where cable TV overtakes streaming by a substantial margin. Here, 48% plan to watch via cable, compared to 37% via streaming. The gap widens further among 55–64 year olds, where cable reaches 53% and streaming drops to just 31%.

Importantly, uncertainty about viewing method remains fairly consistent across age groups, sitting between 9% and 13%. That suggests these patterns aren’t transitional confusion, but entrenched preferences. Younger viewers default to streaming, older viewers default to cable, and very few are actively considering alternatives like recording the game to watch later.

Gender differences are more muted but still telling. Cable remains the most popular option for men (48% versus 40% streaming), while women are equally likely to watch on cable or stream (around 42%).

Streaming wins on access, not advanced features

While much of the streaming industry’s marketing focuses on innovation, flexibility, and cutting-edge experiences, this research shows that the primary reason people stream the Super Bowl is far more straightforward: they don’t have cable.

Just over half of streaming viewers (52%) cite cable cutting as their main reason for choosing streaming, making it by far the dominant driver. Picture quality comes a distant second at 27%, followed by convenience features such as pause, rewind, and replay at 21%.

More advanced capabilities hold limited appeal. Only 9% say they want different commentary streams, the same proportion want to watch on laptops or devices, and just 4% express interest in AI, AR, or VR features. Temporary subscriptions are also relatively rare, with only 5% planning to sign up just for the game and then cancel.

These priorities vary by audience. Younger viewers place much higher value on HD and 4K picture quality, with 38% of 18–24 year olds and 33% of 25–34 year olds citing it, compared to just 14% of 55–64s. Playback controls appeal fairly evenly across ages, while emerging technologies remain a low driver across the board.

Income introduces another layer. Higher earners are more likely to value premium features, including HD/4K quality (29% vs 23% of lower earners), playback controls (26% vs 18%), and AI, AR, or VR experiences (9% vs 2%). However, even among affluent viewers, lack of cable remains the top reason for streaming.

What this means for streaming brands planning ahead

For streaming platforms, these findings suggest that winning the Super Bowl audience is less about novelty and more about reliability, accessibility, and clarity of value.

First, availability still matters more than innovation. The fact that most viewers stream because they don’t have cable reinforces streaming’s role as infrastructure, not just entertainment. Ensuring broad access, simple onboarding, and stable performance during peak live moments may do more to retain viewers than rolling out experimental features with limited appeal.

Second, premium experiences should be targeted, not universal. Interest in HD, advanced controls, and emerging technologies skews younger and more affluent. Rather than positioning these features as headline benefits for everyone, streaming brands may be better served by tailoring messaging and pricing to the segments that actually value them.

Finally, the data underlines the importance of ongoing audience research. As cable and streaming reach parity, small shifts in behaviour can have outsized impact. Understanding which viewers are likely to switch, what might pull undecided audiences toward streaming, and how expectations evolve year-on-year will be critical for platforms competing in an increasingly crowded live sports market.