Amazon will be more than a sports stream novelty – soon there’ll be major events on Prime almost every day like ESPN
Amazon’s 2017 live NFL broadcasting debut was both an experiment and a possible glimpse into the future.
Seven years later, the scenery is entirely different.
ESPN and other traditional broadcasters may soon face competition from Amazon’s sports production.
At first, they offered a $50 million package to stream ten Thursday Night Football games.
The streaming rights were sold by the NFL at the time separately from the linear broadcast coverage.
Back then, CBS and NBC also aired live coverage of Amazon’s TNF games.
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But in 2023, the sports media market was rocked by the decision to sell the complete Thursday Night Football package to Amazon for $1 billion.
For eleven years, Amazon has reserved the Thursday Night Football slot exclusively.
The streaming service now kicks off nearly every NFL gameweek.
Additionally, Amazon now has a dedicated Christmas time slot with a special broadcast.
Black Friday Football aligns well with the company’s objectives of marketing products to consumers looking for discounts.
Traditional television has already started to give way to streaming, with Amazon leading the way.
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This year, Netflix will join them in broadcasting NFL games, including two live games on Christmas Day.
Games are now only available on streaming services instead of on traditional broadcasters like NBC and ESPN.
Fans reacted negatively to the decision last year to allow NBC to webcast a playoff game rather than broadcast it on the free-to-air channel.
Instead, that Wild Card Weekend game will be streamed on Amazon Prime this year.
Amazon now regularly participates in NFL broadcasts and has begun to establish itself in other domains.
New rights deal
Three networks and the NBA inked an 11-year agreement for the league’s rights starting in 2025–2026.
Additionally, for the first time since the network’s 1988 debut, TNT will not be hosting any games.
ESPN and ABC will continue to broadcast the league’s 80 regular-season games, according to The Walt Disney Company.
The NBA Finals will continue to be held there, along with about 18 playoff games from the first and second rounds and a Conference Finals series for ten of the eleven years.
For the first time since 2002, NBC will broadcast the NBA again.
Up to 100 games will be broadcast on the network’s channels and Peacock streaming service each season.
In addition, it will host NBA All-Star games and include about 28 first- and second-round playoff games.
NBC will alternate with upstart broadcaster Amazon Prime to telecast one Conference Finals Series for six of the eleven years.
66 NBA regular-season games, including one on Black Friday, will be available on Amazon.
The complete Play-In Tournament and the final stages of the NBA Cup are also available on the streaming service.
Additionally, about one-third of the first- and second-round playoff games will be televised on Prime.
In a $1.8 billion a year deal, they acquired Warner Bros. Discovery’s NBA game package.
They will get 66 live regular-season games starting next year thanks to the pact, which includes one NBA game on Black Friday and a doubleheader in the first week.
With the addition of the NBA game to their NFL schedule, Amazon will host live sports on Black Friday in 2025.
Additionally, they will host every NBA Cup knockout game, including the championship game, in December.
Additionally, Prime Video will show one of the Conference Finals series, the first and second round playoff games, and the complete Play-in Tournament.
Additionally, Amazon and the WNBA have a new contract that will begin in 2026.
Their NBA coverage under the new agreement is comparable to that of ESPN.
Like ESPN’s Monday Night Football, they also have a place on the NFL schedule.
Jay Marine, Amazon’s global head of sports, stated in a statement last year that the company is eager to make long-term investments.
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“Thursday Night Football has played in a number of locations and has never really had a home.
Our objective is to create a franchise that is both long-lasting and very lucrative in years four, five, ten, and eleven.
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