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Sports Streaming Costs Have Risen 26% in Five Years, Lucky Rebel Analysis Finds

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sports fans could pay more than $2,260 annually to subscribe to eight platforms, according to analysis from Lucky Rebel. The combined monthly cost of the services analysed rose from $149.95 in 2021 to $188.86 in 2026, an increase of 26%, or...
Sports Streaming Costs Have Risen 26% in Five Years, Lucky Rebel Analysis Finds

The combined monthly cost of the services analysed rose from $149.95 in 2021 to $188.86 in 2026, an increase of 26%, or almost $39 a month.

Subscribing to every platform throughout the year would cost $2,266. The total illustrates the cost of taking all eight subscriptions, rather than the amount every sports fan needs to spend.

The findings accompany Lucky Rebel's Sports Streaming Inflation Calculator, which examines subscription costs as broadcasting rights become increasingly spread across multiple providers.

Around two decades ago, an expanded cable package costing approximately $45 monthly typically included ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic and Fox Sports Net, alongside ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC affiliates.

Today, depending on their sports and leagues, viewers may use YouTube TV, NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and Netflix. With rights divided between providers, fans may need several subscriptions to access the coverage they want.

Fans report missing games

Consumer research cited by Lucky Rebel found that nearly six in ten sports fans had skipped a game because access was too expensive. Around one third said this had happened multiple times. Meanwhile, 46% of Americans reported missing an entire game because they could not identify where it was streaming. The same proportion had missed part of a game for this reason.

Among people without sports streaming subscriptions, 30% said illegal streams were easier than navigating multiple paid platforms.

Calculator estimates future spending

Lucky Rebel's calculator lets users select their sports, teams, subscriptions and how long they have been fans. It estimates annual streaming bills, compares current costs with 2021 prices and projects spending over 10, 20 and 30 years.

Lucky Rebel is an online sportsbook and casino offering sports and live betting, casino games and live casino games. The platform also offers promotions and a player rewards programme, with a focus on providing an accessible online betting and gaming experience.

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It was published on September 29, 2026 and last updated on October 9, 2026. The time of the story is shown in your own time zone on the page.

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