Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Spring 2026 TV Survey is here, and it's a doozy!
The latest quarterly survey focuses on the vertical live-streaming format and the ways in which the sports-highlights experience can be improved for fans. (Hint: It's not about personalization. It's about buffet.)
Among tracking questions, the one about Devices moved a lot this quarter. Mobile/tablet shot up to No. 2. The question asks, Which devices do you use to watch TV? One or two selections have been allowed for many runs now, and mobile has always been strong: it was No. 4 in the winter survey.
This matters because mobile is not ergonomically neutral. For the most part, a phone is most comfortably held vertically.
Visual and auditory biology also matters. The eyes strain to see faces clearly, the ears strain to hear what's going on, and it's tiring. That's real: biology matters a lot. Horizontal TVs have it right for watching in bed or on the couch, not on-the-move.
We've seen vertical video in clip format take off on social media, and even this report suggests that sports highlights on YouTube are much more likely to be watched on a mobile device than on TV.
But a full game in vertical mode? Really? No way.
Yes way. Of the sports fans responding, 54% said they were either very interested or somewhat interested in watching live sports streamed specifically for phones in a vertical format. (See the full report here.)
Even more impressive: 27% said they were very interested and would actively seek it out. That's not a fringe signal. The survey also revealed a small portion of truly validated demand despite limited availability.
This lines up with NAB Show buzz: FOX Sports and Peacock working with AWS Elemental Inference on vertical feeds, automated reframing, and AI clipping. Vertical live in real time is no longer a social video format; it's a product strategy to be explored.
The takeaway, however, isn't Make it all vertical.
Top 4 Takeaways
1. Vertical live sports has justified its demand
Among sports fans, 27% are very interested in vertical live sports, and another 27% are somewhat interested. That puts total interest at 54%.
This doesn't mean that vertical replaces widescreen. It means vertical becomes a serious product surface for specific use cases: phones, highlights, breaking moments, close-ups, replays, recaps, and on-the-go viewing.
The phone has its own powerful, monetizable canvas. It's essential for elements of fandom, such as ticketing, venue apps, and team and league commerce and merch.
2. Mobile/tablet jumped to the No. 2 TV device
Coincidentally, given the survey questions about vertical, I was surprised to see that Mobile/iPhone/Android/tablet was 22%, up from 17% in the winter survey, when viewers were asked to select their top one or two devices for watching TV.
Mobile was meaningful at 17%. At 22%, it becomes impossible to ignore.
This is the device story behind the vertical story. Consumers aren't just watching clips on phones. They are using phones and tablets as TV devices. The industry can keep treating the phone as downstream distribution, or it can start designing real TV experiences for the way the device is actually held and used.
The TV is still the thing on the wall. But, increasingly, TV is also the thing in your hand.
3. Tubi keeps rising, while paid streaming shows real movement
On the free-TV-app side, YouTube remains dominant at 54%. But Tubi is now a clear No. 2 at 39%, ahead of The Roku Channel at 29% and Pluto TV at 25%.
Tubi's continued strength is one of the most consistent signals I've seen across these surveys. In the Winter 2026 report, Tubi also performed strongly with viewers on ad-break patterns. That matters because FAST and free streaming are not just about library depth. They are about the feel of the experience: ad load, ad timing, content fit, and lean-back comfort.
On the paid side, Netflix remains in front at 63%, followed by Prime Video at 44%. But the notable movement is Disney at 36% and Paramount at 32%. Disney and Paramount swapped positions, which is not a great signal for Paramount at a moment when the company's future direction is already under a microscope.
Was this sports-season-related? Brand momentum? Bundle behavior? Content cycle? I'm still looking for the best explanation. But the switch is worth watching. If you have ideas, join us at our Quarterly Briefing and let's discuss. (Join free here: #FutureOfTV.Live)
4. Sports fans want highlights, but they still care about full games
I'll admit it: over the past few years, I've had too simplistic a view about sports fandom. That view says that audiences want only clips. The data says something more interesting.
Among U.S. TV watchers, 30% consume sports highlights daily. That is roughly 80 million people - about the size of California, Texas, and Washington State combined. Highlights are now a daily media habit.
But, when asked how they follow sports, 33% of U.S. TV viewers said they regularly watch full live games for teams or leagues they follow. Less than a third said they do not follow sports.
That means full games still matter. A lot.
The battle is with the 41% in the middle. There is a large group that follows sports through highlights, clips, scores, social media, big games, viral moments, and casual viewing. That is where share will be won and lost.
The question is not whether highlights replace games. The question is what should happen after the highlight.
The After the Highlight' Opportunity
So I had to ask: After watching a great sports highlight clip, what would you want to see?
The top answer, at 26%, was a short recap that tells
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Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
