Could you be watching your club lift the Premier League trophy on an Amazon Prime Video stream from 2019? It's a real possibility according to sources close to the matter, which claim Amazon is looking to wade into the pricey UK football rights war.
According to sources speaking to The Telegraph, Amazon is said to be preparing to challenge rights holders Sky and BT for the option to show Premier League football matches across the 2019 to 2022 period, with Amazon consulting external experts on how best to present the sport.
It could drive up the cost of UK football showings on TV – the last round of bidding saw the rights shared between Sky and BT for a whopping £5.14 billion at auction, and a third major player in the space could see bids reach astronomical highs. That money has to be recouped, and it's likely the viewer who will eventually feel the pinch.
Why Amazon?
So what does an online giant like Amazon want with football streams? Well, if they can be packaged up alongside its Amazon Prime subscription service, it's another lure for those sitting on the fence as to whether sign up or not. And for the hardcore football fan, even making the football a premium bolt on on top of the annual Prime price may not be a turn off.
As a retailer, Amazon is said to enjoy twice as much return custom from those signed up to its Prime special delivery service compared to those who do not. So tempting the UK's large football following could be lucrative beyond even any streaming charges laid down.
Amazon will face particularly stiff competition from Sky this time around however. Disney's takeover of 21st Century Fox will give it far more money to throw around than previously.
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