The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil may have been a record-shattering event for streaming, but online viewership still didn’t come close to that of linear television. This year’s tournament promises a much closer race, with streaming nearing traditional TV for the first time.
As broadcasters around the world cater to soccer fans who have cut the cable cord, the Interactive Advertising Bureau forecasts that 65 percent of consumers who have live streamed video previously will live stream matches during the month-long tournament, which kicked off today. That compares with the IAB’s expectation that just 71 percent of fans will watch live on linear TV.