An opinion piece by Paul O’Donovan, senior director and MK.IO product manager at broadcast technology company MediaKind.
For decades, live sport revolved around a shared experience: one screen, one story, one perspective. But as audiences fragment, platforms proliferate, and attention spans shrink, that singular feed is no longer enough.
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Multiview streaming, a novelty not too long ago, has become a necessary response to a changing media landscape, particularly for sport, where fan expectations now extend far beyond ‘watching the game.’ Multiview is built on a very simple concept: multiple live angles, streams, and perspectives, all presented on a single screen. But there are big opportunities on the horizon. For rights-holders, broadcasters, and platforms alike, multiview represents a fundamental rethinking of how live events are packaged, presented, and monetized.
Sport is about all the big moments, the dramatic turns, and the last-second goals. Multiview streaming enhances those moments by allowing fans to watch them unfold from different angles and vantage points. Whether it’s the drama of a penalty kick in soccer or the intensity of a cycling peloton, multiview turns passive spectators into active participants.
A Culture of Choice
As with most innovations in sport, this is being driven not by technology alone, but by shifting audience behavior and a commercial imperative to keep pace. It has been widely highlighted over recent years that younger audiences, specifically those aged 18-34, are exhibiting shorter attention spans and a heightened demand for unique experiences in their sports engagement, showing the growing demand for formats that prioritize choice and control in a personalized media landscape.
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By GlobalDataFrom Netflix to TikTok, personalization is baked into digital consumption. In this context, the idea that all fans should watch the same static feed of a live match feels increasingly outdated. Whether it’s selecting alternate camera angles, following specific athletes, or accessing real-time stats, multiview mirrors the interface logic audiences now encounter everywhere else.
If this sounds like gimmickry, it’s really not. It’s about relevance and meeting fans where they are, in the interfaces they already live in. At a time when attention is divided and second-screening is the norm, multiview transforms fragmentation into a feature for both hardcore and casual viewers. It keeps fans on-platform longer, letting them tune into what matters most to them, whether it be checking in on multiple games or perspectives, a tactical view, a favorite player, or an alternate commentary stream.
Fan Engagement Like Never Before
Recent deployments of multiview technology are proving just how impactful it can be. Just take last year’s Paris Olympics; according to NBCUniversal, a quarter of Peacock’s Olympics viewers used multiview, splitting their time evenly between featured live events and the quad box view. This highlights a growing demand for content autonomy. YouTube TV recently revealed plans to introduce a more customizable multiview feature, enabling users to build their own viewing combinations across both sports and non-sports content, which is an interesting development in the evolving landscape of personalized streaming experiences.
Apple TV has embraced multiview for sports broadcasts, and YouTube’s NFL Sunday Ticket offers fans the ability to watch multiple games simultaneously. The NBA and NBC’s Peacock have also leaned into the trend, incorporating multiview features that received high praise from fans.
March Madness has also emerged as a flagship example of multiview in action. During the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament last month, which featured 67 games packed into a few short weeks, viewers were able to watch up to four games at once. This multiview build feature allows fans to select which games to follow, ensuring they never miss a moment, even when games tip off in close succession.
Comcast Xfinity X1 subscribers, for example, can also enjoy multiview functionality depending on the device and service tier, providing another viable way to stay immersed in multiple games simultaneously. Behind the scenes, advanced viewer interactivity is enabled by video technologies that support multiview experiences without compromising performance across a wide range of devices.
The Business of Multiview
For sports leagues and teams, multiview is a smart way to connect with fans. Letting fans watch marquee matchups alongside lesser-known games helps shine a light on emerging talent and hometown favorites. That kind of visibility strengthens league-wide connection and makes the ecosystem feel more inclusive.
There’s real commercial value too. Multiview creates fresh opportunities for sponsors and advertisers to engage fans, whether it’s through split-screen branding, interactive overlays, or custom in-feed promotions. With higher engagement and attention, these formats feel native and more like a feature than a disruption. As sports advertising shifts toward more personalized and digital-first strategies, multiview offers a creative way to deliver standout brand moments without disrupting the viewing experience.
From a brand perspective, being among the first to deliver a high-quality, reliable multiview experience signals innovation. In an industry where fan expectations are shaped by tech-native platforms and interactive gaming environments, multiview helps legacy broadcasters close the experience gap and win over younger, digital-native fans.
The Future is Flexible
What’s clear is that multiview isn’t going away. Viewer retention is measurable. Engagement becomes active. Ad inventory multiplies. As major streaming platforms and tech-forward sports leagues explore more sophisticated ways to serve global audiences, multiview becomes an edge in a fiercely competitive rights market.
As sports rights continue to migrate to digital platforms, it’s unlikely to remain a premium differentiator for long, particularly for younger, tech-native audiences. That raises new questions – how will data be used to personalize streams even further? Will fans be able to create their own custom feeds? How do you maintain the communal spirit of live sport when everyone is watching a different version of the same game?
These are questions the industry must now wrestle with. But what’s already clear is this: multiview is no longer just a nice-to-have feature. Sport viewing is evolving, and with it, the way value is created and fan engagement is defined. So, while the stadium may still be the cathedral of sport, the couch – and the screen – is fast becoming its altar, built for multiview.
