Prime Video Makes Moves for Live Sports

Prime Video Makes Moves for Live Sports

The streamer has diverted commissions from TV shows and movies to make this happen, believing that live sports can “more reliably draw audiences to the Prime Video service than new movies and shows, significantly boosting its ad revenue,” sources said, per Sports Business Journal.
READ MORE: IS NETFLIX RETHINKING LIVE SPORTS?
Amazon Prime is making an unexpected move and emphasizing live sports, a very different strategy from other streamers who often allocate their budget toward other expenses.
“Amazon has invested heavily in sports content, spending about billion annually for broadcasting rights to major leagues such as the NBA and NFL,” Inc. reported.
The Streamable reported, “Prime Video’s relatively small investment in new TV shows and movies is part of its strategy to begin turning a profit. That’s also why, in January 2024, Prime Video introduced ads to its existing streaming plan, a way to bring in more money when its viewers watch. While pulling back on original TV series and movies is undoubtedly a gamble, it gives the company a bigger budget to invest in other programming areas.”
By Movieguide® Contributor
In 2024, the streamer’s content budget for movies, TV shows and live sports was “around billion.”
And although live sports are a hefty investment for streamers, Amazon sees it as a way to increase viewership. The company plans to spend .9 billion per year “for a package of regular season and playoff NBA games in fall of this year,” pulling from the “same pool that Amazon’s film and TV studio draws from.”
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy told his team in 2023 that he “wanted them to come up with a new plan for Prime Video by March 2023″ to “show a path to turning a profit from the unit.” Part of that plan included live sports.
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