How far behind are Super Bowl “live” streams, really?
Delayed streams are a growing source of frustration for sports fans. During the 2026 Super Bowl, some streams lagged up to 62 seconds behind the action on the field, leaving viewers vulnerable to spoilers from live score apps and social media before they appear on screen.
To understand the full scope of the issue, Stats Perform conducted a comprehensive latency study across leading streaming providers during Super Bowl LIX, including:
- Building a measurement system using a globally synchronized clock (accurate within half a second).
- In-stadium staff to measure when key events occur, such as kickoffs and quarter starts.
- Remote staff and volunteers to take measurements when these key events happen on their screens across various services and devices.
By combining these measurements, we quantified both the average latency behind on-field action and the ranges of lag for viewers on the same platform, known as drift. This analysis provides a clear, real-world picture of how “live” Super Bowl streaming truly is.
NFL fans demand real-time streaming – or they switch platforms
Alongside these measurements, Stats Perform surveyed 1,000 NFL fans aged 18-64 across the U.S. to explore how streaming delays influence viewing habits, expectations, and platform choice.
“Ultra-low latency has become a defining factor in how fans expect to consume live sports. This research connects our direct Super Bowl latency measurements with first-party fan data to quantify how delays impact viewing experience, frustration, and engagement, and what that means for streaming providers looking to retain fans on their platforms.”
– Umair Ikram, UX Researcher, Stats Perform
NFL fans were defined and screened by their viewership level, with results captured proportionally to reflect U.S. NFL fandom by age and gender, ensuring findings are representative of the broader fan base.
