Amazon has acquired rights to show English Premier League matches in the UK, signalling a new era in which digital platforms increasingly compete with traditional broadcasters to screen live sport.
Amazon and other technology groups are increasingly pushing into live sport, challenging traditional broadcasters which have used them to underpin their subscription packages to consumers. Earlier this year, Amazon outbid Sky to win exclusive UK rights for men’s tennis world tour matches in a deal worth a reported $40m, while in the US it has reached a $130m deal with the NFL to screen American football matches in the US on Thursday nights for the next two seasons.