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As subscription streaming services pull more and more games from free TV and basic cable, many fans are complaining.
A new national Pak Gazette poll of registered voters finds that majorities of sports fans (72%) and non-fans (60%) think major sporting events should be required to remain on broadcast television, not behind paywalls. Only 27% of fans and 38% of non-fans say leagues should be allowed to move games to paid streaming services.
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For those who like to watch their favorite team from their favorite couch, the price is becoming a serious penalty. Nearly 6 in 10 sports fans say they have skipped a game at least a few times in the past year because it was too expensive, including about a third who say this has happened “many times.”
Nearly half of fans say they have skipped games on television because it was too difficult to find or access them. (Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
And even when fans are willing to pay, figuring out how to watch can feel like a blocked shot. Nearly half of fans (47%) say they have skipped games because it was too difficult to find or access them. On the other hand, about the same proportion (46%) say they have rarely or never been marginalized. When it comes to watching television, they really have game.
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Nearly three-quarters of registered voters consider themselves sports fans (73%).
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Conducted March 20-23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Pak Gazette poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter archive. Respondents spoke to live interviewers via landlines (104) and cell phones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. The sampling error of the results between subgroups is greater. The results among sports fans have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 points and those of non-sports fans ±6 points. In addition to sampling error, the wording and order of the questions can influence the results. Weights are generally applied to the age, race, education, and area variables to ensure that the demographic data is representative of the population of registered voters. Sources for developing compelling targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Pak Gazette Voter Analysis, and voter file data.
