Amazon Steps into the NFL Playoff Spotlight with Exclusive Streaming Rights
Amazon’s First-Ever Exclusive NFL Playoff Game
In a landmark move for sports streaming, Amazon has clinched exclusive rights to broadcast an NFL playoff game live on Prime Video for the first time. This significant shift marks a new chapter in Amazon's ongoing collaboration with the NFL, which first began in 2017. Many fans of the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers will get to see their teams clash in a game that’s already generating a buzz, thanks to its availability on Amazon’s streaming platform.
A $150 Million Bet on NFL Streaming
The deal, signed earlier this year in February, cost Amazon a whopping $150 million—a testament to the growing value of online streaming rights in the sports world. Previously, the NFL playoffs found homes across traditional broadcast giants like CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN. While these networks will still broadcast the majority of the wild-card games, Amazon’s venture heralds a new era where digital platforms are increasingly becoming a significant player.
Competing in the Streaming Arena
While Amazon might be a newcomer to playoff game exclusivity, it's not a rookie in sports streaming. Last year, Amazon secured exclusive rights to the well-received NFL Thursday night schedule. Even so, the competition remains fierce. Peacock, for example, set one of the paid streaming benchmarks with 23 million viewers for an NFL playoff game, although Netflix holds the overall record with 24.3 million streamers. It’ll be interesting to see how Amazon fares in the viewer tally.
Tuning in for the Game Day
Ravens and Steelers fans in Baltimore and Pittsburgh won’t miss out; they can catch the game on local TV channels. For everyone else, watching will require an Amazon Prime or Prime Video subscription. For the uninitiated and potential new subscribers, there’s an inviting 30-day free trial available, making it easier to tune into what promises to be an unmissable showdown.
This development underscores Amazon's growing ambitions in the sports broadcasting sector, promising more than just convenience—it's about delivering an engaging and comprehensive viewing experience. Whether Amazon can become a dominant force in the landscape of live sports broadcasting is a story that’ll unfolded in the coming seasons, but the excitement from this initial plunge is undeniable.