Summer sports brought the heat this year, and viewers showed up in a big way. In May, streaming reached a record 48.6% of total television viewing, according to Nielsen data reported by TheWrap. Live sports played a major role in that milestone, with basketball, racing, soccer, and other sporting events drawing millions of viewers across both traditional TV and streaming platforms.

Amazon Prime Video alone generated 7.5 billion viewing minutes from 20 live sporting events during the month, while ESPN viewership increased 16%, fueled largely by the NBA Playoffs.

But summer was just the warm-up.

As football returns, baseball enters the postseason, and basketball and hockey tip off new seasons, the fall sports calendar will create even more opportunities for fans to turn in. With nearly twice as many major sporting events available to stream, audiences will spend more time than ever watching the teams, athletes, and moments they love.

For marketers, the opportunity extends far beyond reaching a larger, highly engaged audience. By understanding the fans behind the streams — who they are, what motivates them, what they buy, and where they are most likely to engage — brands can build more informed marketing strategies, more relevant messaging, and audience experiences that drive measurable performance.

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Predictive audience intelligence helps marketers move beyond broad demographic assumptions to identify the consumers most likely to watch, buy, subscribe, travel, upgrade, or engage. Alliant offers sports audiences spanning professional and college leagues, specific teams, fantasy sports participation, sporting-goods purchases, athletic brands, and related interests.

Whether your campaign belongs beside the game, inside the stream, or beyond the stadium, the right audience strategy can help ensure it reaches the fans most likely to act.