Amazon is reportedly set to introduce a new stand-alone sports app. The Information claims that the massive company has discussed plans to create the app so customers can watch live sports directly on the product. A potential development in this direction would make sense considering Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s recent comments about the sports industry.
Jassy sat down with the New York Times last month to discuss a plethora of topics. However, his comments about live sports on Amazon Prime Video certainly gained attention.
Amazon CEO claims live sports app can drive subscriptions
“Just Thursday Night Football if you look at it,” Jassy stated. “People thought it would be 5, 6 million viewers. It’s been more than double that. It’s got 20% higher viewership in the 18-34 demographic, which is really important to a lot of different constituents.”
The CEO also claimed that more people are signing up to Prime because of the video content on the streaming service.
Jassy was also asked specifically about the importance of sports rights in the streaming world. “We’ve be doing a lot more there,” said Jassy. “I think you’ll continue to see us investing in sports. Sports is such a unique asset. If you look every year at the most-watched programs, sports often occupies 75% of those spots. They drive live engagement and they drive Prime subscriptions.”
Not yet known if pricing will be affected
If ultimately released, the app would help underline the company’s live sports content. As of today, this coverage is currently included in the Amazon Prime Video service.
Potentially bad news for sports fans is that Amazon could opt to create different tiers for certain services. Another possibility for users is that this new app could become an add-on to the already existing Prime Video platform. Although it remains to be seen how a potential new app will be introduced.
Prime Video currently has deals in place to stream exclusive Premier League and UEFA Champions League games in the United Kingdom.
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