Amazon’s Prime Video is expected to bolster its NFL coverage next season as it is reported that the streaming platform will broadcast a Playoff Wild Card game next season.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Prime Video will pick up the exclusive Wild Card game if its Thursday Night Football (TNF) coverage hit its intended targets from last season.
Amazon did have the option to broadcast the one Wild Card game as part of its 11-year media rights deal with the NFL but decided to opt out, allowing NBC’s Peacock to showcase the one-off game last January.
Peacock’s coverage of the AFC Wild Card game between eventual Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins turned out to be a major success for the streaming service, becoming the most-streamed US event in history.
The Chiefs Dolphins game drew in a peak 27.6 million viewers with an average of 23 million. Peacock also brought in an additional 2.8 million new subscriptions as part of the exclusive one-off AFC Wild Card.
The success of the AFC Wild Card game last January on Peacock will have no doubt caught the attention of those at Prime Video and reportedly fended off renewed interest by NBC for the exclusive game.
With the Wild Card added to Amazon’s 16 game-a-season coverage on Thursday nights, the streaming platform appears to be doubling down on its live sports broadcasting venture.
TNF coverage saw a 24% rise this season compared to last year, averaging a viewership of 11.86 million, up from the 9.58 million it averaged the year prior.
Amazon also saw a significant rise in its female demographic, jumping from 2.98 to 3.86 million female viewers over the last year, a 30% increase.
Whilst its 18-34 (14%) and 18-49 (17%) demographics also saw an increase, this was at a slower rate, as TNF finished its 2023 coverage with a median age of 48.5.
Not only would Amazon be pleased with the viewership performance of TNF, but so too would the NFL, who has been heavily investing into the streaming space to attract younger audiences.
