A new report released this week shows football fans are doing more than watching live games on television — they are interacting at an increasing rate across different platforms that reshape the traditional sports viewing experience.
According to Horowitz Research’s State of Media, Entertainment and Tech: Viewing Behaviors 2025 report, the “second screen” has become nearly as important as the primary television set.
Around two-thirds of total NFL viewers (63 percent) and 66 percent of multicultural NFL viewers engage with live social media content while watching games, either by posting their own reactions or reading real-time updates from others.
Multi-angle options are also gaining traction, particularly among multicultural audiences. The study found that 44 percent of multicultural NFL viewers use alternate camera feeds such as player perspectives or drone footage, compared to 39 percent of the overall NFL viewing base.
Real-time interactivity extends beyond social engagement. More than half of NFL viewers (51 percent) shop for sports merchandise while watching games, while 48 percent of multicultural NFL viewers do the same. Gaming has also become an integral component of the live sports experience. Nearly half of multicultural NFL viewers (48 percent) and 43 percent of all NFL viewers reported engaging with video games or other interactive features tied to live sports programming.
When it comes to the television platforms fans are using, 86 percent of fans are subscribed to a subscription streaming service, while 74 percent use free streaming apps and platforms. Those figures are higher among multicultural football fans, with 90 percent subscribing to a streaming service and 82 percent using a free streaming app.
In an e-mail to The Desk, Horowitz Research Executive Vice President Adriana Waterston said the figures were based on overall television viewership, and wasn’t limited to football games. Waterston also clarified that the “free streaming” figure doesn’t include illicit websites and services that offer free, unlicensed access to TV programming.
“As NFL season goes into full swing, we are excited to see how fans’ behaviors around TV and advertising consumption are evolving,” Waterston said in a statement. “Major investments in sports rights by major streamers over the past few years are changing the game when it comes to where fans will watch. What we are keeping close tabs on is how new interactive advertising and shopping capabilities are transforming the NFL experience altogether.”
The full report is available to download by clicking or tapping here.
