Last season, fans had the option of watching Thursday Night Football on Amazon. Soon, for some games, it might be the only choice.

Amazon is in talks with the NFL over exclusive broadcast rights to some Thursday Night Football games, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The tech giant has broadcast TNF matches since 2017 on Amazon Prime Video but has never done so exclusively, sharing games with Fox and the NFL Network in years past.

However, Fox has lost interest in the midweek games, and no other legacy provider seems eager to take its place. Amazon, in its most aggressive move to date into live sports, may take advantage of the traditional networks’ reticence.

Should Amazon secure exclusive rights, they won’t be cheap. The NFL is poised to double the price of its broadcasting contracts in the deals it’s negotiating with CBS, NBC, Disney, and Fox.

Amazon pays between $75-100 million annually for non-exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football in a deal that runs for two more seasons.

Live sports is “the most important Jenga block holding up the entire legacy media ecosystem,” said LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield. Amazon’s move could shake the foundation.

Get a driver’s license, play basketball, and bring home a six-figure salary.

Sports media company Overtime announced that it plans to start the Overtime Elite league for 16- to 18-year-olds as a nontraditional route to the NBA. Each of its 30 players would make at least $100,000 per year with full health care benefits and a tailored academic curriculum.

“OTE is leading the way on that front by offering players a comprehensive route that fully develops the athlete — not just basketball skills, but education, economic empowerment, and building their own brand,” said OTE investor and board member Carmelo Anthony. Kevin Durant and VC firm Andreessen Horowitz are investors as well.

Players will also receive shares of equity in Overtime, and earn revenue from the use of their name, image and likeness — a hot topic for college athletes in recent years.

The NBA changed its eligibility requirements in 2006, requiring incoming players to be at least 19 years old. No longer able to join the league after high school, many phenoms now play in college for one year. But OTE is not the first to rule out traditional collegiate play.

• G League Ignite launched just last year, hosting exhibition games with NBA prospects and veterans.
• Jalen Lecque and Anfernee Simons played in high school for five years, waiting to turn 19.
• Others, like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, played overseas.
• LaMelo’s father, LaVar Ball, spearheaded the short-lived Junior Basketball Association as an NCAA alternative in 2017.

“We’re doing it based on the observation of how these young athletes are trying to change the system and make it work for them,” said CEO Dan Porter.

Overtime Elite starts in September in an undisclosed city.

UFC pinned down its first official deal with a sportsbook.

DraftKings advertised during UFC fights last year in Abu Dhabi, but this agreement takes their partnership to new heights.

The mixed martial arts promotion and DraftKings have entered a five-year partnership in a deal worth more than $100 million, per Sportico. The deal also encompasses a $250 million commitment to promote DraftKings’ UFC products.

“These guys have a platform that is second-to-none,” said Lawrence Epstein, COO of UFC to Sportico. “And that’s what makes this deal so groundbreaking.”

DraftKings gets rights to UFC logos for use across its betting and fantasy products, and the sports betting brand will be promoted on the octagon canvas at select UFC events.

UFC and sportsbook partnership will be on full display for the first time this weekend at UFC 259.

“This is the most important deal we’ve ever done to increase engagement with our fans and reach new ones, and I’m looking forward to all the exciting things we’re going to do with DraftKings over the next few years,” said UFC President Dana White.