By Patrick Seaman | CEO @ SportsBug™, Author of Streaming Wars
Fox Sports just announced that its 2025 NFL Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions will also stream free on Tubi in 4K. The move marks another milestone in the rise of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). While networks and platforms fight for viewers at home, they are also setting new expectations for how fans engage with live sports. And those expectations are starting to expose a gap that exists inside the stadium itself.
At home, the competition is about accessibility and choice. Fans want multiple viewing options, interactive features, and high-quality streaming without barriers. They want to choose their commentary team, switch camera angles, and dive into real-time stats. Sponsors see FAST platforms like Tubi as a way to reach massive audiences with targeted campaigns that actually work. The message is clear: advertising and sponsorship dollars follow wherever the fans are paying attention.
But what about inside the stadium? On Thanksgiving Day, tens of thousands of fans will be in the seats at Ford Field, and millions more across other venues this season. The at-home audience has streaming options layered with sponsor messaging and interactive features, yet the in-venue audience often relies on the scoreboard and a PA system that reaches everyone the same way. It is a one-to-many channel in an era when fans and sponsors expect personalization. We have somehow convinced ourselves that getting fans into the building is the finish line, when it should be the starting point for deeper engagement.
Think about what we are leaving on the table. The fan in section 212 is experiencing the exact same audio as the fan in the club seats, the family in the upper deck, and the season ticket holder behind the bench. Same announcements. Same promotions. Same experience. Meanwhile, that same fan at home can choose between three different broadcast feeds, toggle stats overlays, and get served ads based on their viewing habits and preferences. The in-venue experience has fallen behind, and it is not because the technology does not exist. It is because we have not yet fully recognized the opportunity.
That is where the next frontier lies. A geo-fenced platform like SportsBug delivers a new kind of in-stadium engagement, letting fans access their favorite local live color sports commentary, with no streaming delay, through their phones. Prefer Spanish or other language commentary? That’s coming soon too. For sponsors, this creates premium inventory, turning every fan into a reachable audience with targeted activations, promotions, and branded experiences that feel relevant instead of intrusive.
The parallels are striking. Just as Tubi creates ad-supported value for Fox outside the stadium, SportsBug enables teams and leagues to do the same inside their own house. Instead of a one-size-fits-all experience, SportsBug opens up differentiated audio channels, team-driven sponsorship opportunities, and localized offers that enhance fan engagement while driving revenue. The fan gets choice and control. The sponsor gets precision and measurability. The team gets a new revenue stream that does not require adding another logo to the outfield wall.
Consider the math for a moment. A single NFL game might draw 70,000 fans to the stadium and 20 million viewers at home. The broadcast generates millions in ad revenue because it can target, measure, and optimize. But inside the venue, where attention is arguably higher and loyalty is already proven, we treat those 70,000 fans as a monolithic audience. We are not maximizing the value of the most engaged people in our ecosystem.
Streaming platforms like Fox and Tubi are proving that fans are willing to embrace free, sponsor-driven experiences when they deliver quality and choice. SportsBug extends that logic to the in-venue environment, where attention is at its peak and fans are already deeply invested in the live moment. They paid for parking. They bought tickets. They wore the jersey. They are not passively watching from a couch. They are all in, and that level of engagement should translate into better experiences and better economics for everyone involved.
The next chapter in sports monetization is not just about what happens on the screen at home. It is about creating richer, sponsor-backed experiences inside the stadium itself. The venue should not be a black box where we lose the ability to personalize, measure, and optimize. It should be the most valuable real estate we have. The technology is ready. The fan expectation is there. Now it is up to teams and leagues to close the gap.
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