Types of Sports Entertainment on Online Platforms: A Comparison of Canada and the USA

The digital age transformed sports entertainment by extending its audience from physical arenas to extensive online platforms. The expansion of sports entertainment in North America particularly affects Canada and the USA through multiple aspects such as online sports betting and fantasy sports as well as sports-based video games and esports. Mega Moolah slots, among other online casino games, have drawn millions of players due to their increased popularity. This article investigates multiple sectors by examining their market presence alongside the regulatory frameworks and market conditions in both nations.

Overview of Online Sports Entertainment

The United States and Canada share a lot in terms of online sports entertainment platforms. On the other hand, the most popular sports are different in each country.

Canada loves hockey, which remains the most popular sport. Soccer and basketball take the second place.

In contrast, United States fans are deeply interested in American Football, basketball, and baseball. Judging from their popularity and viewership, these three sports outweigh all the others.

Coming back to similarities, both countries offer similar forms of online sports entertainment:

• Sports streaming services - Services like FuboTV, ESPN, and DAZN are popular in both countries, offering different sports in each territory based on the viewers' preferences.
• Sports betting options - Sports betting is differently regulated in both Canada and the United States. Each province and state regulates sports betting independently.
• Esports and video games - Esports are becoming increasingly popular in both countries.

Even though there are differences in sports popularity in both countries, watching all of these sports is easily accessible through specific subscription services.

So, no matter where you’re based, you can easily find and watch the most popular leagues, such as the NFL, NHL, CLS, MLS, and MLB.

Online Sports Betting

Due to the massive popularity of sports among Canadians and U.S. fans, many of them love sports betting as well. Smartphones are the primary way in which sports lovers enjoy betting. However, that’s not possible in all Canadian provinces and American States.

Regulations and Market Differences

Both Canada and the United States have liberated their provinces and states to regulate online sports betting locally. Over twenty states in the U.S. have regulated it, whereas in Canada, only Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec have fully regulated it. The latter two offer it only through government-run platforms, though.

The trend will likely continue in 2025 and beyond as more territories regulate online sports betting in both countries. Sports fans are ready to experience it.

Technology and Live Betting

One thing that both countries share is the platforms on which people prefer to bet online. As you might have guessed, both United States sports fans and Canadians prefer betting via their smartphones.

That’s not surprising, as more and more people use mobile, and if we count tablets, over 59% of traffic share is from mobile devices. Those numbers are even bigger in Canada, standing at over 60%.

Pay-per-view streaming of important UFC events is equally popular in both countries. Although the UFC is an American league, Canadians also stream these events in large numbers.

Market Trends and Future Projections

Online sports betting is growing in both the United States and Canada. The only difference is that the United States has adopted it more widely since 2018. While more states need to legalize it, the majority of big states have regulated it.

Canada, on the other hand, has a long way to go. Legal sports betting opened in 2021, but for now, Ontario is the only regulated province. Many others are on their way to do the same, but it will take some time. In fact, the industry is set to double by 2030, reaching more than $5.5 billion.

Fantasy Sports and Sports-Based Video Games

Both of these markets have a strong DFS and sports video game betting user base.

Fantasy Sports Leagues

Fantasy Sports Leagues are popular in both Canada and the United States. They’re more adopted in Canada. Aside from Ontario, DFS is legal in all the other Canadian provinces.

While largely available in most of the United States, there are dozens of states where DFS is either illegal or not regulated.

Sports Video Games

Some of the sports video games, such as FIFA and NBA 2K, are popular in both countries. As they’re parts of esports, bettors in regulated territories can bet on tournaments related to these games.

The most popular games in the United States are NBA 2K, EA Sports College Football 25, and Madden NFL.

Canada’s most popular sports video games are a bit different from those of the United States. Canadians love the NHL and FIFA.

Esports and Virtual Competitions

Like in the rest of the world, esports betting is becoming increasingly popular in the USA and Canada. That’s not surprising, as game live streaming is projected to grow by 4% annually in the United States in the coming years.

The situation is the same in Canada, where growth will exceed 4.5% annually until 2029. That’s amazing news for the esports scene, which will most likely have even more events as interest continues to grow.

Only a handful of operators offer esports betting in the United States, but it’s on the expansion path. For now, Canada has regulated esports betting only in Ontario. Alberta will follow in a couple of months.

All this means that esports betting is yet to develop fully in the United States, following the international popularity of the sport.

Where Is Online Sports Entertainment More Popular?

Both Canada and the United States enjoy sports entertainment. Furthermore, there are similarities when it comes to the online sports entertainment types that are popular. However, Canada has a much higher focus on hockey, whereas the United States audience focuses more on the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

Additionally, these are not the only sports popular in the United States. Sports fans enjoy watching younger leagues as well, and they put additional focus on other sports, such as NHL, MLS, and the UFC.

This variety makes the United States a country that enjoys online sports entertainment more than Canadians. This is especially true when you consider the popularity of monumental events such as the Super Bowl, which is followed by more than half of the country.