Gracenote expands sports discovery beyond live games

Gracenote, Nielsen’s content data business unit, is expanding the role of sports beyond live games by helping TV providers keep viewers engaged across a broader universe of programming. Enhancements to the Gracenote On Sports solution make documentaries, highlights, analysis and related sports content easier to discover alongside live events within unified sports hubs.

The updated capabilities span more than 160 sports leagues and competitions across over 50 countries. By combining this coverage with high-quality imagery of games, teams and athletes, Gracenote enables TV interfaces that feel more visually engaging and tailored to individual viewing preferences.

Expanding sports engagement beyond live games

The enhancements are designed to support streaming platforms, consumer electronics manufacturers and pay TV providers as viewing habits continue to shift. By connecting fans with competitions, teams and athletes outside of live broadcasts, the solution supports stronger engagement, additional advertising opportunities and improved monetization of content libraries.

Gracenote links live games directly to complementary programming that deepens fan involvement. This includes related content such as documentaries, scripted shows and films focused on sports, as well as shoulder content that extends the live experience through pre- and post-game coverage, highlights and analysis.

Rising demand for documentaries and analysis

Interest in sports documentaries continues to increase. Total streaming viewing time for sports documentaries among U.S. audiences reached 16.9 million minutes in 2024, compared with 4.7 million minutes in 2021, representing growth of nearly 260 percent, according to the 2025 Nielsen Tops of Sports report. At the same time, recap and analysis shows before and after games have become important touchpoints for fans and communities.

This growing appetite for related and shoulder programming creates an opportunity for platforms to position themselves as comprehensive destinations for sports viewing, rather than focusing solely on live events.

Unified data delivery and platform integration

The enhanced On Sports solution allows TV providers to integrate sports data and video data through a single API. This approach simplifies implementation while enabling platforms to surface a wider range of sports-related programming alongside live schedules, team information and league data.

Tyler Bell, senior vice president of product at Gracenote: "From casual viewers to passionate fans, consumers are engaging with sports content in every way possible. Platforms have big opportunities to become go-to sports hubs for these valuable users, and Gracenote is uniquely positioned to help them realize these ambitions."

Demonstration at CES 2026

Gracenote On Sports supports universal search and curated sports hub experiences through enriched sports data covering major leagues and competitions, including the NFL, NBA, Premier League and Formula 1. Gracenote will demonstrate the solution on an appointment-only basis at CES, taking place January 6 to 8, 2026.

www.gracenote.com

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