Craig Ferguson of Evergent explains how leagues are adapting streaming models, including micro-subscriptions and influencer partnerships, to engage fans and combat piracy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Subscription fatigue, rising costs and more competing platforms than ever are just three of the reasons the sports broadcasting landscape is changing.
Combat sports and pay-per-view (PPV) have gone hand in hand for decades, yet even the UFC is beginning to rethink the marriage. Meanwhile, football leagues such as Germany’s Bundesliga are turning to content creators to reach younger fans whose viewing habits now include watchalongs and influencer-led coverage.
Insider Sport sat down with Craig Ferguson, Director of Regional Sales, Europe at Evergent, to explore why some of the biggest shifts in sports streaming are taking place, and what new ideas rights holders may adopt in the months leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Rights holders are experimenting with day-pass subscriptions, match-specific packages, and single-team content. How can these micro-moments help leagues monetise fans who may not want a full season subscription?
Given the saturation of competing video services in today’s market, it can be a huge ask to sign up new (and returning) fans to full-season packages. Micro-offerings present an opportunity to increase revenue flow, whilst also demonstrating a willingness to provide value to the everyday consumer.
We support the NBA in enabling single-team content options, which allow die-hard fans who are on a budget to watch what really matters to them (or who just really want to watch their own team).
In a lot of cases, for other sports services, these types of fans may have to rely on free highlights, meaning the league would only benefit from ad revenue as opposed to direct subscription costs. They may also miss out on opportunities to onboard a user onto their own platform, where they would be able to capture valuable fan data for direct engagement.
Many streaming companies are under pressure to be profitable while keeping subscriptions affordable. How can rights holders strike that balance without alienating fans?
To achieve this balance, rights holders can reduce complexity for sign-ups by ensuring their user interface (UI) and packages are straightforward and designed to reduce checkout carts being left, offer a variety of subscription packages to capture a broad range of customers, and have a defined strategy to offer upgrades to maximise high-usage users (such as an ultra HD package), and downgrades to prevent churning users.
If you can’t prevent churning users, have a strategy to win them back with personalised offers. Rights holders need to engage with their user base consistently. What are they happy about, and what is frustrating them? Have a service that allows you to pivot fast with offers, bundles, onboarding/offboarding flows, etc.
Piracy remains a major threat to sports broadcasting. How can flexible and affordable subscription models help convert pirates into paying fans?
Rather than viewing piracy as an uncontrollable problem, rights holders should recognise that many fans are pushed toward illegal services due to the growing number of video services people need to pay for. Offering flexible and affordable plans, with options to cancel or pause, encourages fans to subscribe legitimately with their hard-earned cash.
Another good start is to ensure that official streams offer superior quality and reliability compared to illegal alternatives, while simplifying access and reducing geo-restrictions where possible.
Some leagues are licensing rights to YouTube channels or influencers rather than traditional platforms. How effective is this approach in reaching younger audiences?
This is typically quite niche and is less common among the larger, major sports leagues. However, it plays an important role in reaching younger audiences. I consider YouTube and Influencers as a wider part of a media strategy, but certainly not one that should be the sole delivery point for the majority of content.
YouTube will always be a great place for highlights (and a live match every so often), but unless you are a purpose-built format like Kings League, it’s important to prioritise your own delivery service. This provides greater control over monetisation and audience engagement whilst still harnessing YouTube to reach new (and younger) fans.
Sports like boxing and UFC are moving away from traditional PPV models. Are there lessons from those shifts that mainstream leagues can apply to football or other sports?
Outside of boxing and UFC, few sports have traditionally relied as heavily on PPV models. That said, both boxing and UFC demonstrate the importance of adapting to modern audience expectations. An evolving approach of reserving PPV for major events and using subscription models for remaining events highlights the need for flexibility and an understanding of audience expectations.
Across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, fan behaviours and regulations differ widely. What lessons can leagues and streaming platforms learn from these regional differences, and are some markets more advanced in flexible subscriptions?
Regional differences reveal that one-size-fits-all models rarely work. European leagues, shaped by club loyalties and strict broadcast rules, show the value of exclusivity and tradition. In contrast, markets across the Middle East and Asia highlight agility (fans often follow multiple sports and expect affordable, mobile-first access).
The key lesson is flexibility: adapt pricing, access, and engagement to local habits rather than exporting a single model. Asia, in particular, is ahead on flexible, event-based subscriptions, offering a glimpse of where global streaming may be heading. Local partnerships, payment methods, and language options are also essential for success.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup kick-off times likely to be after midnight in some regions, how should rights holders engage fans outside live broadcast hours and maintain attention?
Generally, I like the idea of sports offering local events in regions where regular scheduled matches might be after midnight. Look at the NBA – they organise matches in London, Paris, and across Asia to build popularity and encourage people to experience the sport.
Around major global events like the World Cup with international fans across regions, it’s also crucial to keep email and app-notifications spoiler-free to ensure that fans are able to enjoy catch-up viewing of events the day after the event.
Another approach to catering to those global fans is offering discounted viewing options for audiences unable to watch live. Tactics like these are key in building engagement in markets where broadcasts fall outside prime viewing hours.
