On Sunday, users of the Fox Sports mobile app experienced an average lag time of only 23.76 seconds between what they were seeing on their phones and what was actually happening in real time at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix during Super Bowl LVII. 

That's an impressive score for Fox, which averaged a lag time of 47 seconds for its mobile app back in 2020, the last time Fox controlled the Super Bowl broadcast. The Fox Sports app streamed Super Bowl LVII without the need for pay TV authentication Sunday.

The numbers come from research company Phenix, which annually tracks streaming performance for the big game. 

According to The Streamable, which has also been monitoring Super Bowl latency performance for the last three years, albeit with a much different measurement methodology, the Fox Sports app was even ahead of cable -- the pub said the action hit the mobile app, on average, a full 17 seconds before it unfurled on its Xfinity cable box.  

The Streamable determined that Fox Sports' coverage only lagged other-the-air broadcast by about 1 second ... with OTA being only around 1 second behind real time. (Again, it's important to keep in mind that The Streamable seems to be measuring latency in a much anecdotal way than Phenix. However, in terms of scale, The Streamable's metrics seem to match up with Phenix's pretty well.)

Certainly, with the living room extended by viewer interaction on social media -- not to mention the emerging addiction crisis that is online sports gambling -- latency matters. 

“The Super Bowl was streamed to millions of fans who chat and text with each other during the game. Unfortunately, with the delays in technology that broadcasters and streaming platforms employ, this interactivity can’t extend far beyond the living room, as it’s supposed to, with fear of spoilers from Twitter or a text from your group chat coming a minute too early," said Jed Corenthal, CMO of Phenix. "In 2023, there’s no excuse for delays and buffering to impact the viewing experience this poorly, especially for one of the biggest events of the year.” 

And outside the Fox Sports app performance Sunday, latency appears to be getting worse, not better. 

FuboTV watchers, for example, were delayed almost 77 seconds from seeing Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry leveled with one of the most consequentially bad defensive holding calls in pro football history Sunday. 

And 77 seconds was only an average. According to Phenix, some FuboTV users had to wait more than 100 seconds to see the live action. (More than a few Fubo users in Philly had to be wondering why TV's were suddenly being thrown out of windows on that ticky-tack call.) 

Hulu + Live TV users were delayed over 69 seconds. And YouTube TV watchers experienced average latency of 54.14 seconds -- notable, given that the virtual pay TV platform is taking over NFL Sunday Ticket next fall. 

Notably, each of these virtual MVPDs got worse, latency-wise, from last year's Super Bowl, according to Phenix. 

FuboTV, for example, registered an average Super Bowl latency of only 49 seconds in 2020, and 55.1 seconds for last year's game. 

The only vMVPD to show latency improvement over 2022 was DirecTV Stream, which shaved off nearly two seconds from its average. 

Notably, the NFL's newly rechristened mobile platform, NFL Plus, experienced average latency of 60.08 seconds. For last year's Super Bowl, Phenix measured NFL.com at 50 seconds. 

Of course, many factors go into latency, including crucial ones like where the user is located and what network they're using. 

Phenix also publishes every year a useful chart that shows the range of variance for each measured platform. For example, while some Fox Sports app users experienced latency approaching only 15 seconds from the realtime action, others dealt with a lag as high as 86 seconds. 

Notably, Phenix found that some DirecTV Stream users were seeing action that was a full minute-and-a-half old. 

Sports betting has been on a fast track to mass adoption across the United States ever since the Supreme Court’s monumental 2018 ruling in Murphy v. NCAA. As soon as 2022, it is projected that 32 states could offer legal sports betting and with it, generate almost $6 billion in revenue. Even with the pandemic bringing traditional sports to a grinding halt earlier this year, betting didn’t stop. Rather, esports stepped in to fill the void.

Esports betting has ballooned since the onset of the pandemic. The sector alone is expected to reach $14 billion in gambling revenue this year; European bookmakers have already seen a 40 times increase. With traditional sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer playing again, the sports betting industry has massive opportunity ahead.

In order to capitalize on this interest, industry players must reconsider the importance of the technology that powers their streaming in order to drive betting handle, and thus bottom-line revenue. Today’s platforms are riddled with delays which leaves all parties susceptible to leaving money on the table. To solve this problem and successfully progress to the full potential of sports betting and “micro-wagering” — betting on every pitch in a baseball game, every down in a football game and so on — streaming technology must change and become a priority.

Next-Level Gamification

The opportunity to amplify the fan viewing experience has increased tenfold this year, since watching live sports in person is off the table for now. Broadcasters and sports leagues alike have the chance to create a more engaging and interactive virtual viewing experience — bringing the stadium experience into living rooms and mobile devices across the country.

These gamification elements can come from features such as Q&As, trivia games or even a chance to purchase merchandise from a team. But one of the largest categories is certainly sports betting. If leagues can provide the opportunity to bet within a game on every play without leaving the live stream, revenue opportunities will skyrocket. Bringing true in-game micro-wagering to viewers allows them to place bets not just on an entire golf tournament for, example, but on whether or not Tiger Woods will make this putt.

The PGA Tour recently announced an expanded relationship with DraftKings to include betting integration in golf events designed to drive fan engagement. The true test for these kinds of gamification features, however, is whether or not streaming services will find the sweet spot to ensure they can minimize delays and support a simultaneous influx of online viewers. Lackluster streams will not cut it for viewers who are looking forward to placing their bets and engaging with others while streaming an event.

The age of cord-cutting has led to an increased number of fans tuning in via live streams. Yet, these viewers have become accustomed to seeing a tweet or push notification about the winning touchdown before it happens on their screen. While this may lead to dissatisfaction for some fans, it can be downright devastating for bettors.

In order to incorporate successful in-play or micro-wagering betting operators must work hand-in-hand with streaming platforms to provide a synchronized, real-time stream with no delays. Accomplishing this is easier said than done. During this year’s Super Bowl, fans streaming the game experienced delays of anywhere from 45 to 55 seconds, rendering many betting opportunities moot.

The success of betting/platform integrations all circle back to the necessity of using technology that provides a real-time experience. At the end of the day, this technology will drive user engagement and have a substantial bottom-line impact.

Increasing Take With Tech

With today’s subpar streaming technology many sports leagues and betting operators are using, hundreds of millions of dollars in total wagering is being left on the table. When most “live” streams are riddled with delays, operators are forced to cut potential betting windows short, thus, less time for users to engage with the content and less time to generate revenue for all parties involved. In addition, real-time streaming removes the possibility for fraud or courtsiding because the streams are coming in too fast.

Right now, fans are able to bet on the outcome of games, and maybe on specific outcomes of quarters, halves or innings, but true micro-wagering is not possible. This kind of instantaneous action is even more important in fast-paced events such as esports. For example, no fan is going to be comfortable placing a bet on the outcome of a FIFA livestream if their stream is 20 or even sometimes 60 seconds behind a fan elsewhere. The popularity of legalized sports betting across the country is the meta-level of a real-time streaming requirement, with tangible consumer dollars on the line.

The “old normal” of live sports doesn’t look like it will be back for a while, as in-person viewing is not going to be plausible for the foreseeable future. Even if games start allowing fans, many viewers will be tuning in from the comfort of their own home rather than an arena. Ultimately, all parties involved must take a hard look at the technology being used and consider how it’s holding the betting and sports streaming industries back from maximum success.

If streaming platforms can provide a synchronized real-time stream to masses of people, the potential of legalized sports betting in the U.S. could be realized.

Jed Corenthal is chief marketing officer at Phenix, a Chicago-based streaming technology company.

To say it’s a surreal time in the sports world is an understatement. With the majority of sports cancelled or on hiatus for the foreseeable future, it’s uncharted territory for owners, leagues, players, broadcasters and especially fans.

The 2020 NFL Draft on April 23 is no exception to this new reality, and the league has needed to make drastic changes. Moving from glitzy Las Vegas to a remote TV studio without eager, excited fans — not to mention without the NFL hopefuls who have been anticipating the moment when their name is called out and they shake hands with the commissioner — will reshape how we watch and consume sports in this new environment.

The draft is expected to have a surge of sports-deprived fans tuning in live, as it’s one of the only sports-related events yet to be canceled. The technology providers livestreaming the event need to deliver a seamless, synchronized and latency-free real-time viewing experience, or they will see a flood of complaints across social media.

The platforms that are able to deliver a topnotch experience will not only win over fans, but will also have a plethora of new opportunities to increase the bottom line.

Hurdles to Clear

The live streaming of sporting events is too often associated with latency and a lack of bandwidth to support large audiences due to inadequate tech solutions. Viewers who live-stream sports have come to expect to see a tweet about a touchdown before it actually plays out on their own screen.

During this year’s Super Bowl, fans streaming online experienced delays anywhere from 45 seconds to 55 seconds, leaving many viewers frustrated as big moments were spoiled. Now imagine how severe these delays can be when the NFL must integrate live video from all 32 team headquarters for the draft. If the streaming tech isn’t up to par and the stream is delayed, fans will miss the exact moment when their team’s pick is revealed and draftees will miss the exciting moment they have always waited for when their name is called by the commissioner.

Ahead of a sporting event that is an integral part of the NFL tradition and prides itself in creating major lifetime moments, it’s vital for streaming services to find this tech sweet spot and ensure they’re able to minimize delays and support an influx of online viewers simultaneously. Otherwise, the NFL will find itself with a massive group of frustrated sports fans.

There is an especially big opportunity this year for live-streaming providers to deliver more than just a real-time experience. Platforms must rethink what it means to “watch” sports in an environment where fans will be watching alone and integrate further opportunities for interactivity, which will drive engagement.

In order to improve the viewing experience and keep fans engaged for longer periods, providers should integrate interactive features and tools to reshape that experience — taking it from just one viewer sitting at home alone to others across the country in real time. This can be done through features such as live chats, in which fans can share their thoughts on a particular team’s draft pick, or live polls via social media to ask viewers to predict who the next player selected will be.

Integrating interactive features into realtime live streaming heightens the social aspect and makes watching much more enjoyable as viewers can share the moment with others remotely — call it the “social living room.” But this is only possible if streaming technology is delivered in real time and in sync so everyone can watch at the same time. If a viewer in New York is 15 seconds ahead of their friend in Kansas City, that could be all the time needed to spoil who the Giants will be taking during the first round.

Better Streaming, More Revenue

By 2024, it’s expected that 91 million consumers will use live video streaming, giving brands and advertisers a newer way to reach their audience as well as creating a massive opportunity for them to increase revenue through better streaming technology.

As more viewers cut the cord and move to streaming platforms to watch sporting events, the opportunities continue to grow for providers. Yet the increased revenue potential can only be achieved by consistently providing an ability to successfully deliver top-notch, interactive, real-time streaming experiences. The live stream of this year’s NFL draft, which is expected to garner a huge audience, is an opportune chance for providers to capitalize on this.

Brands must prioritize their streaming solutions to ensure they are not only latency-free, but also engaging and interactive viewing experiences for fans. Those able to do this will be able to increase their bottom line and move into the next threshold of sports entertainment.

A new survey has found that 42% of adult consumers said they’d be willing to spend a maximum of $20 per month on streaming subscription, according to Phenix, a real-time video solutions provider.

The study, conducted online, would mean that a big share of people would be limited to one or two streaming subscriptions per person.

Related: Cord Cutters Say They’re Saving Money

Phenix’s Future of Streaming Report found as many as 40% of Americans don’t plan to live-stream this year. A big reason for resistance to streaming is delays or buffering, with 12% of those saying they’d be more likely to stream live content if latency wasn’t a consistent issue.

“This year, we saw everyone from platforms to networks to franchises heavily invest in streaming technologies,” said Stefan Birrer, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Phenix. “Even though the industry significantly advanced in 2017, claims of offering real-time capabilities are false and it’s because of major latency issues, especially at scale. ‘True-live’ has the potential to be such a key differentiator this year that original content is going to take a back seat to it, despite original content investments from tech giants like Apple and Facebook. In fact, consumers are already feeling a case of ‘content fatigue’ so platforms need to worry less about churning out a new show every week and more about providing consumers with what they want – live-streamed content that’s truly live.

Related: Will Big Sports Streaming Bets Pay Off?

The top subscription choices for consumers who want to live-stream content this year, according to the study, were: Netflix (60%), YouTube (48%), Facebook (38%) and Amazon (37%). Less popular were Hulu (25%) and Twitter (12%).

“Right now, most platforms that provide ‘live streaming’ capabilities offer either scale or speed, not both,” Birrer said. “Yet, offering both is the only way to create a real-time experience, as well as the only way for it to be a market differentiator this year and beyond. Once achieved, providers will be in a better position to win more subscribers and reach untapped audiences.”

The study was conducted online by YouGov, with 1,128 adult participating Oct. 25 and 26.