Amazon gets Thursday night games in NFL media deal

SAN FRANCISCO: Marking the entry of Big Tech into Big Sports, Amazon has inked a decade-long deal with the National Football League (NFL) to exclusively broadcast 15 Thursday Night Football games and one pre-season game per year on Prime Video in the US.

NFL on Thursday announced long-term agreements with other media partners as well, including CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, and NBC. NFL's long-term agreements with these media partners could be worth over $100 billion. The new agreements will begin with the 2023 season and run through the 2033 season.

As per the deal, Amazon is paying about $1 billion per year, CNBC reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The Prime Video deal is NFL's first exclusive national broadcast package with a digital streaming service.

"Thursday Night Football will be our first-ever digital package and we are thrilled to exclusively partner with Amazon to bring our games to more fans on more platforms," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, said in a statement.

"NFL football drives passionate viewers and Amazon will enable us to continue to grow our fanbase in innovative and compelling ways."

The number of regular-season games included in the Thursday Night Football package is increasing from 11 to 15, with all games airing on Prime Video as part of a Prime membership.

"NFL games are the most watched live programming in the US, and this unprecedented Thursday Night Football package gives tens of millions of new and existing Prime members exclusive access to must-watch live football on Prime Video," said Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Prime Video and Amazon Studios. IANS

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