Amazon Strikes Exclusive Deal to Stream NFL Playoff Game Next Season

Amazon has secured an exclusive streaming deal to broadcast an NFL playoff game during the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Sources familiar with the arrangement told the Los Angeles Times that the move signals the tech giant's strategic initiative to leverage its Prime video platform by attracting a vast audience through premium sports content.

However, it must be noted that the NFL and Amazon have both refrained from providing official commentary on the agreement, indicating a degree of confidentiality surrounding the deal.

Amazon Secures Exclusive Deal With NFL

This development follows NBC's recent streaming of a wild-card game on its Peacock service, which garnered a significant viewership, reportedly marking the largest live-streaming audience in history, with an average of 23 million viewers.

The game featured a showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, and it was accompanied by a high-profile attendance from pop sensation Taylor Swift, potentially contributing to Peacock's subscriber growth.

Amazon's growing presence in sports streaming is underscored by its successful tenure as the exclusive broadcaster of "Thursday Night Football" for the past two seasons.

The streaming platform was reported to have witnessed a notable surge in viewership, with a 24% increase in contrast to the previous year, averaging almost 12 million viewers per game, as per Nielsen data.

Amazon's streamed games have resonated particularly well with younger audiences, reflecting shifting consumption patterns away from traditional television.

Amazon's Streaming Portfolio

The inclusion of a playoff game in Amazon's streaming portfolio is attributed to a performance clause embedded within its exclusive agreement to broadcast the NFL's Thursday night package.

This forthcoming playoff telecast will be the first NFL playoff game primarily aired on a platform not owned by legacy media conglomerates that have traditionally dominated NFL broadcasting over the past three decades.

While the playoff game will be available on broadcast television in the local markets of the competing teams, Amazon's exclusive streaming rights signify a significant departure from conventional broadcasting norms.

Amazon's acquisition of exclusive NFL streaming rights coincides with recent announcements from major media companies, including Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox Corp., outlining plans to launch a subscription streaming service featuring cable and broadcast networks with live sports programming.

This upcoming streaming service will debut by mid-August, ahead of NFL exhibition games, signaling intensified competition within the streaming landscape.