Amazon Secures Exclusive Rights to Stream NFL Playoff Game on Prime Video
Prime Video to Stream Exclusive NFL Playoff Game Next Season
Amazon has sealed a deal with the National Football League (NFL) to exclusively livestream one playoff game on its Prime Video platform next season, according to a source familiar with the matter. This announcement comes on the heels of NBCUniversal’s Peacock, which, just a few weeks ago, became the first-ever platform to livestream an NFL playoff game exclusively. The game, which took place on January 13 between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, set a record as the most-watched livestreamed event in US history, attracting over 20 million viewers. NBCUniversal reported that it led to the largest usage of the internet ever on a single day in the United States.
Key Comparison: Peacock vs. NBC, NBC Sports Digital, NFL Digital, and Telemundo
In comparison, the Wild Card game on the same day between the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans averaged 29.2 million viewers across various platforms, including NBC, Peacock, NBC Sports Digital, NFL Digital, and Telemundo. This game, according to NBC Sports, was the most-watched Saturday NFL Wild Card game on the network since 2014. While Peacock did not lose the rights to exclusively livestream an NFL playoff game, the source mentioned that Amazon earned the deal by meeting certain performance benchmarks laid out in the streaming deal the company signed with the NFL for the 2021 season. This initial deal allowed Amazon to stream “Thursday Night Football” exclusively.
Amazon’s Success with “Thursday Night Football” Boosts Bid for Playoff Game
Amazon’s performance in streaming “Thursday Night Football” this season contributed to the company securing the exclusive rights to stream an NFL playoff game. The company reported a 24% increase in total viewership of “Thursday Night Football” compared to the previous year, based on Nielsen ratings. Amazon’s most-watched “Thursday Night Football” game this season was the November 30 matchup between the Seahawks and Cowboys, which attracted 15.3 million viewers. This success likely played a significant role in Amazon’s ability to secure the exclusive rights for the NFL playoff game next season.
Future Plans for Amazon and the NFL
Neither the NFL nor Amazon have provided a comment on the deal at this time. However, this move by Amazon comes shortly after the joint announcement from Disney’s ESPN, Fox Corp., and Warner Bros Discovery to launch a sports streaming platform together. Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company of CNN, is part of this partnership. It remains to be seen how Amazon’s exclusive streaming rights for an NFL playoff game will fit into the evolving landscape of sports streaming platforms and the way viewers consume live sports content.
Note: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice.
Analyst comment
Positive news.
As an analyst, this news indicates that the market for streaming sports content is highly competitive. With Amazon securing exclusive rights to stream an NFL playoff game, it signals their growing dominance in the streaming industry. This move is expected to increase Amazon’s viewership and solidify their position in the market, potentially leading to further growth and expansion of their sports streaming offerings.
