• Loading stock data...
Friday, March 29, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Amazon Becomes Streaming Home to Sounders FC Regional Coverage

  • The deal is Amazon’s second with a sports franchise for regional rights.
  • Over the last few years, Amazon has grown its sports footprint with the NFL and European soccer.
Amazon Becomes Streaming Home to Seattle Sounders Regional Coverage
Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Amazon Prime Video, continuing its push in the sports space, has its first streaming deal with a professional soccer club. 

The Seattle-based streaming giant and Seattle Sounders FC have signed a three-year deal that makes Prime Video the sole digital streaming location for all of the club’s non-nationally televised matches throughout Washington state. The deal marks Prime Video’s second agreement with a sports franchise for regional broadcast rights.

“At Sounders FC, we often refer to ourselves as a family, and that notion extends to the greater Seattle community. When I think about our hometown, few brands are as closely associated with Seattle’s sense of innovation and ingenuity as Amazon,” Sounders FC owner Adrian Hanauer said in an announcement.

“This is a proud day for our club, as we’re now able to bring our fans Sounders FC matches on the world’s premier video streaming service through a company that is synonymous with our city’s culture. On behalf of our organization, I am thrilled to welcome Amazon and Prime Video to the Sounders family,” he said.

Sounders FC’s first match following the MLS is Back Tournament is on Aug. 23 against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, and the Prime Video deal kicks off Aug. 26 with their matchup at the LA Galaxy. 

“Sounders FC is a fundamental part of our culture here in the Pacific Northwest, and as a club they have always been at the forefront of innovation in professional sports,” said Marie Donoghue, Amazon vice president of global sports video. “We share this common vision for innovation at Prime Video, and are committed to delighting fans and enhancing the value of a Prime membership through sports, and we believe this deal accomplishes just that.”

Sounders FC is the first team that will have club-specific content available via a dedicated team page on Prime Video, which will include live and archived regional matches, highlights, player interviews and press conferences.

Amazon has steadily grown its sports footprint over the past few years. 

In 2018, the company made a bid to buy 22 Disney-owned regional sports networks, and eventually became a part-owner of the YES Network, the New York Yankees’ RSN.

Climate Pledge Arena

Amazon Signs On For New Seattle Arena Naming Rights

Amazon has signed a long-term deal to become the naming rights partner…
June 25, 2020

In March, before the MLB season was postponed, the company announced that Prime members living in New York, Connecticut, northeast Pennsylvania and north and central New Jersey would be able to stream 21 Yankees games. 

Those streams were set to feature X-Ray, an exclusive Prime Video technology that provides in-game stats and real-time play-by-play information — but with the shortened season, YES opted to keep all games for its own channel. 

“We’ll evaluate our plans at the conclusion of this season,” an Amazon spokesman said of the YES deal. “However, as a minority owner, Amazon has a long-term investment in YES Network.”

Amazon also has a deal with the NFL to stream “Thursday Night Football,” carries Premier League matches in the U.K., and secured exclusive German rights to a 16-game package of Champions League matches.

Further, Amazon-owned live streaming platform Twitch launched a sports vertical in July that will be home to the NBA, NHL, NWSL, and UFC content already on the platform. European soccer teams Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Paris Saint-Germain will also join with their own streams and channels.

The platform is also launching its own “twitchsports” channel that will highlight broadcasts and content on the platform.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NFL Executive Questions Logic Behind Streaming Giants’ Joint Venture

The ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Fox alliance is expected to launch this fall.

The NWSL Is Ready to Cash in on New Media Exposure

ESPN, CBS, Amazon, and Scripps Sports will air matches this season.

For the ‘Spulu’ Super-Streamer: Lots of Questions, No Good Answers

Big partners, bigger promises, and an unclear operation.

DSG Takes Big Steps Toward Recovery, But Rights Questions Remain

Bankruptcy court approves refinancing plan, settlement of legal dispute.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

Why the Timberwolves Sale was Called Off

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.
March 27, 2024

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers

‘Good Morning Football’ Beginning Mysterious Timeout Before L.A. Move

Friday is the final broadcast of ‘Good Morning Football’ from New York.
March 28, 2024

Jets Owner Blasts ‘False’ Reporting From League-Owned Outlet

League owners and NFL Media rarely criticize each other.
March 28, 2024

NBA Wants to Cash in With Foreign Investors in More Ways Than One

Sovereign wealth funds can invest in NBA teams.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
March 28, 2024

Late Rush Keeps Three MLB Teams on TV, but Revenue Issues Linger

The Diamondbacks, Padres, and Rockies continue to navigate a post-RSN landscape.
exclusive
March 26, 2024

Threats, Demands, a Lawsuit, and a Website in Limbo: Inside the Chaos at ‘SI’

‘Sports Illustrated’ has new publishers, but the transition has been messy at best.
March 25, 2024

Inside the Proxy Fight for the Future of Disney (and ESPN)

Dissident investor Nelson Peltz is seeking two board seats in an upcoming election.
March 25, 2024

The Brian Kelly ‘Hit Job’ Kim Mulkey Ripped Is Barely About Brian Kelly at All

The article was hardly about Kelly at all.