Amazon Prime Video secures exclusive rights to stream NFL playoff game

Amazon's Prime Video has successfully secured the exclusive streaming rights for a National Football League playoff game next season, a source familiar with the agreement revealed to CNBC. The company achieved this milestone by meeting specific viewership targets during the previous season within the framework of its "Thursday Night Football" deal with the league. In 2021, Amazon committed to an annual payment of approximately $1 billion for the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football.

Impact on NBCUniversal's Peacock

A month ago, NBCUniversal's Peacock made history by broadcasting an NFL Wild Card game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, marking the first instance of a playoff game being aired exclusively on a streaming platform. According to The Wall Street Journal, NBCUniversal had intended to retain the streaming-exclusive playoff matchup for the next season, but Amazon's latest agreement with the NFL reportedly altered these plans.

Both Amazon and the NFL declined to comment on the development, while a representative from NBCUniversal did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Strategic investment in sports broadcasting

Amazon's substantial investment in sports broadcasting is indicative of its strategic focus on leveraging this content to augment its Prime membership. The Prime subscription program, which offers an array of benefits including free shipping for an annual fee of $139, boasts a global subscriber base of about 200 million. Amazon has also noted that there are approximately 80 million active Prime Video households in the U.S.