Amazon Prime Video continues to invest in live sports streaming. The second-largest subscription streaming VOD service in the world July 1 announced it has secured select rights for three years to UEFA Champions League soccer, beginning in 2024.
The Champions League is a soccer tournament of 32 teams that compete for the right to be crowned the best club in European soccer. Since 2018, Prime Video streams select soccer games in the U.K.’s Premier League. The streamer also has exclusive Champions League rights in Germany and Italy.
“The addition of UEFA Champions League football is a truly momentous moment for Prime Video in the U.K.,” Alex Green, MD Prime Video Sport Europe, said in a statement. “The passion and energy [for live sports] has led us to this exciting next step.”
In the U.S., Prime Video now has exclusive rights to NFL Thursday Night Football, in addition to a smattering of New York Yankees games and sponsorship of Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders.
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“[Prime Video] is now establishing itself as a key provider of sports in the U.K. as it continues to steadily beef up its programming,” Paolo Pescatore, analyst at PP Foresight, said in a note. “[The deal] will help drive Prime subscriptions and sales even further with more live sport through the year.”
Soccer continues to be coveted asset among U.S. streaming services.
Turner Sports and HBO Max recently inked an eight-year deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation to broadcast/stream more than 20 women’s and men’s national team matches annually, beginning in 2023.
Apple and MLS signed a 10-year deal making the Apple TV app the exclusive destination to watch every single live MLS match beginning in 2023.
Paramount+ is the only streaming service in the U.S. with English-language coverage of every single UEFA club competition match. That includes UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock streaming service has rights to more than 175 live Premier League matches and 1,500 hours of related coverage in the U.S.
