Amazon’s Prime Video is making a big change. Instead of focusing mostly on original TV shows and movies, it’s now putting more effort into live sports.
Why?
Because live sports bring in more viewers in real-time, which means more opportunities for ads and more money. Amazon plans to make Prime Video profitable by the end of 2025 and that is why this is happening.
Amazon has been spending a lot on sports content. About $3 billion every year to get the rights to stream big leagues like the NBA and NFL. For example, earlier this year, Amazon teamed up with Disney’s ESPN and Comcast’s NBCUniversal to sign an 11-year deal worth $77 billion to show NBA games. Plus, last year, Amazon started showing ads on Prime Video, which helps bring in even more revenue.
But Amazon isn’t the only one jumping into live sports. Netflix is also getting in on the action. Netflix has deals for NFL games on Christmas Day, a boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, and live WWE events. It’s clear that live sports are becoming a big deal in the streaming world.
At the same time, Amazon is cutting back on original TV shows and movies. After a meeting in 2022, the company started greenlighting fewer projects in this area. Producers who work with Amazon have noticed the change.
In short, Amazon is betting big on live sports to make Prime Video more profitable and stay competitive with rivals like Netflix. It’s a big shift, but one that could pay off in the long run.