The Varsity The 2025 Sports Media Year in Review
Dec 3, 2025
Join industry experts Julia Alexander, Eriq Gardner, and Dylan Byers as they dissect the riveting shifts in sports media for 2025. Julia delves into YouTube's rise as a central player in sports distribution, leveraging creators to attract younger audiences. Eriq discusses Netflix's bold move into live sports, altering the landscape of rights deals. Dylan highlights the mainstreaming of sports betting and the legal ramifications it brings, while pondering the future of cable in an increasingly streaming-focused world.
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YouTube As The Sports Platform
- YouTube has become the inevitable hub for live sports by leveraging creators and multiple product layers.
- It can host events or let leagues and creators bring eyeballs without heavy rights spending.
Creators Let YouTube Avoid Big Bids
- YouTube can monetize sports via creators and selective event investments instead of bidding on big rights.
- That model lets it increase TV-app engagement without huge upfront rights costs.
Netflix And The Streamer Effect
- Netflix's entry into live sports signals structural change: streamers will raise rights prices and reshape programming.
- Streamers' international footprints shift leagues toward global audiences and different programming choices.