S&P: Bundling, Sports Rights Shifts to Shape 2025 Media Trends

Cord-cutting, continued pressure on linear networks, increased bundling options, shifting dynamics in the sports rights sector and more M&A activity are set to shape the media ecosystem in the U.S. this year, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Seth Shafer, senior research analyst, noted: “2025 could prove to be a pivotal year for the global media landscape as more sports programming and advertising dollars flow toward streaming services. Intense competition could see a rise in mergers and deal-making, especially in the U.S., where media firms are firmly focused on profitability and deregulation could be on the rise.”

Consumption will continue to shift away from traditional pay TV and toward streaming this year, according to S&P’s Trends in Global Media report, which predicts that total traditional multichannel households in the U.S. will drop by more than 9 percent in 2025. Nonetheless, “we believe that both the network owners and pay TV operators remain incentivized to keep the traditional bundle alive, resulting in creative bundling strategies and mutual concessions to adapt to the market environment.”

S&P also sees a continued shift of sports media rights to streaming. “In the current landscape of sports media rights, the expenses associated with broadcasting games have surged significantly, coinciding with an increasingly fragmented audience spread across various video platforms,” the report explains. “Although sports content remains highly valued, securing investments in live sports necessitates a more strategic approach from the expanding pool of bidders.”