For years, cable TV has bled viewers and subscribers to streaming giants like Netflix, Apple and Amazon. Now, those same companies are vying to stream live sports, one of the last lines of defence when it comes to audiences paying big bucks for traditional cable packages.
AppleTV+ has a 10 year, multibillion-dollar deal to stream MLS soccer matches and also streams some MLB games. Netflix has paid to secure the rights to WWE wrestling.
But Amazon was among the first streamers to aggressively bid on broadcast rights for a range of sports, and just this week, it added Monday night NHL games to its offerings.
“We’re committed to driving more innovation for fans as we bring the NHL into more Canadian homes and across more devices on Monday nights than ever before,” said Magda Grace, head of Prime Video, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, in a news release.
amazon also purchased a huge stake in NBA (men’s basketball) TV rights for the next decade last week. Becoming players in the pro sports market seems like a key step in streaming services becoming the new cable (eg, you pay and there are ads)
Yes. That’s in the article as well.