NBC Could Get In On College Football Playoffs
Ahead of its much-anticipated regular-season debut as the exclusive “Thursday Night Football” broadcaster, Amazon has linked up with a big name in sports betting.
The company struck a multiyear deal with DraftKings to be the exclusive in-game and pregame betting odds provider for “TNF” broadcasts.
- The deal covers 15 “TNF” games, beginning with Thursday’s tilt between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs.
- Amazon will incorporate DraftKings odds and betting insights into its pregame coverage.
- DraftKings will work in game-themed parlays and other offers into its app.
Amazon is looking to “TNF” to drive consumers to its Prime subscription offering, now $14.99 per month after a price increase in February.
The tech and retail giant’s subscription services revenue — which includes Prime, Prime Video and other content services such as Audible — grew 10% year-over-year in the second quarter to $8.72 billion.
So Far So Good
Viewership for “Sunday Night Football” on NBC rose 32% year-over-year to 23.4 million — 25.1 million after adding in Peacock and other digital platforms.
NFL ad inventory has been a hot commodity, with in-game rates reaching as high as $860,000 for a 30-second spot. National broadcast rates are up around 7% from last year, and ad sales could bring in $7 billion in total revenue.
Amazon expects “TNF” viewership to decline to an average of 12.5 million from 16.4 million last year as users adjust to the broadcast’s streaming-only status.
