Amazon’s desire to stream more live sports has led it to consider launching a standalone app for such content, according to a Wednesday report from The Information.
The website, citing sources with direct knowledge of the plans, said such a move would “clean up Amazon’s main Prime Video app” and better highlight the tech giant’s sports products. Content includes exclusive streaming rights to the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football,” select Premier League soccer games, and New York Yankees baseball.
The company is using sports to grow its content library, strengthen its advertising department, and drive more Prime members to buy products on its marketplace.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has previously expressed a desire to spend more money on sports.
“Sports is such a unique asset. When you look at the most-watched shows each year, sports often have 75% of the spot,” Jassy said at the DealBook conference in November. “And as you know, they drive live engagement and prime him subscriptions.”
Amazon earlier this year raised the annual price for Prime membership, which includes Prime Video, to $139. Is not …
Amazon competes with other big tech companies for streaming rights to various sports content. The company just lost to Google in the “NFL Sunday Ticket” bid.
Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter called live sports “an on-demand differentiator” and said each company offers its own streaming model. If Amazon wins the rights to the ‘Sunday Ticket’, it should consider whether to offer free NFL games like ‘Thursday Night Football’ or change the Prime membership model to a new level. He said at the time, as suggested by The Information report.