Streaming giants clash over live sports rights in billion-dollar bidding war

The competition for live sports broadcast rights has reached a fever pitch, with the major streaming platforms committing eye-watering sums to secure packages that were once the exclusive domain of traditional television networks.

Analysts say the shift reflects a broader bet that live sports remain the most reliable driver of subscriptions in an era of mounting churn.

Rights holders, in turn, are exploiting the demand to negotiate deals that would have seemed unimaginable a decade ago.