Amazon wants to stream an NFL playoff game next season, and is apparently willing to pay top dollar for the privilege.
The online retail giant is paying close to $150 million for the rights to a single playoff game, according to CNBC Reporter Alex Sherman. This comes on top of an earlier report by Front Office Sports that initially had that figure pegged at $120 million. In comparison, NBCUniversal’s Peacock paid $110 million for the rights to this season’s AFC Wild Card Game, which it touted as the U.S.’s largest live-streamed event ever.
The astronomical sums underscores the high stakes between media companies and Big Tech players who are jostling for dominance in the growing streaming business. Live sports has become the key bit of programming that has proven to draw an audience, and now commands a hefty premium. Amazon has already shown a willingness to spend big, having paid $100 million to stream the first-ever Black Friday game on November 24, according to Front Office Sports.
The NFL declined to comment. Amazon didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Front Office Sports noted that Amazon had a chance to bid on the AFC Wild Card game, and declined. As a result, NBCUniversal and parent Comcast were able to crow about the success of the AFC Wild Card Game between the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, and how it drew in new subscribers specifically for that matchup.
Prime Video has long been a freebie thrown in on top of the Prime subscription service, but Amazon is taking steps to make it more profitable. The company cut its costs through layoffs this year, and in January introduced ads to the service. Customers can pay an additional $2.99 a month to remove those ads and access higher quality video and audio.
As with this season’s AFC Wild Card game, moving one of the games to streaming means you’ll need a subscription — this time to Prime — in order to watch the game if you’re not in the home markets of the two teams playing. It’s a move that outraged at least one lawmaker this past season, and is likely to rankle NFL fans who aren’t Prime customers.
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