Amazon wants to launch an independent platform for sports

Amazon is considering launching a new standalone app for its live sports coverage and other sports content, according to a new report.

It could mean that the e-commerce giant separates its existing sports offering from Prime Video To be offered as part of a separate product, it has been reported the information on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Amazon offers a growing selection of sports content including live streaming of NFL and Premier League games, while it also has a special deal with the New York Yankees to show some of their baseball games.

The company hasn’t given any official word on possibly launching a standalone sports app, though it’s worth noting that the information report comes after recent comments by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy that confirmed that live sports has been an ongoing area of ​​interest for the company.

It’s also unclear when Amazon might release such an app, and whether it will charge a subscription fee for using it. It is also possible that along with the app, you can keep your sports content on Prime Video but put it behind a paywall.

The rights to broadcast live sports can be expensive, but deals like this can also help attract more subscribers to streaming platforms.

Apple, for example, is also exploring the space with Apple TV+ which signed a deal with MLB earlier this year to broadcast live games on Friday nights. It also became the exclusive broadcaster for MLS games for the next decade.

The Peacock streaming service also offers a growing selection of live sporting events, though that’s not surprising considering it’s powered by NBC. Content, some of it exclusive, includes the NFL, Premier League, MLB, WWE, Golf, and NASCAR.

Most recently, YouTube announced an NFL Sunday Ticket deal that would cost $2 billion a year. In a sign of how streaming services are beginning to make their presence felt in the live sports space, the YouTube deal saw it acquire the package from satellite TV provider DirecTV, which has carried it since 1994.

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