Sports Boost Amazon to $121.2B Quarter

Amazon reported a 7% increase in second-quarter net sales to $121.2 billion, beating analysts’ estimates of $119.09 billion.

Amazon’s Web Services division reported $19.7 billion in revenue, outpacing estimates of $19.56 billion. AWS teamed up with Riot Games during the quarter to bring its data analytics integration to esports broadcasts for the first time, and will also power Riot’s cloud-first remote broadcast centers.

The company’s entertainment segment announced the addition of a number of sports personalities for its “Thursday Night Football” package. Amazon acquired the rights last year for $1 billion per season.

• Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez will be joined by former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman as analysts for Prime Video’s pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage.
• Charissa Thompson was announced as host during the quarter.

Prime Video debuted more than 25 local Originals and live sporting events, including Roland-Garros French Open tennis in France, the Australian Swimming Championships, and live boxing in Japan.

Amazon’s Empire

Amazon won a majority of Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 rights last year for a reported $279 million annually. Earlier this month, French network L’Équipe struck a deal with Amazon to co-broadcast one Ligue 2 match each week during the 2022-23 season and announced a new pricing structure to watch Ligue 1.

The company is competing with Apple, Google, and other media giants for NFL Sunday Ticket. The league is reportedly looking for $2.5 billion per year for the rights.