Amazon Could Enter Streaming Rights Field
Amazon.com is reported to be pursuing video rights to a wide range of sports, including tennis and rugby, as the company looks for ways to attract new customers to its online TV service, according to media reports.
Bloomberg has reported that Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has expressed interest in sports with global appeal, such as tennis, golf, football and motor racing.
Amazon, which declined to comment on the reports, has already spent billions of dollars a year to offer TV shows and movies on demand, and has been exploring the creation of a live online pay-TV service since late 2015.
Earlier this year, the Seattle-based company hired former Sports Illustrated executive James DeLorenzo to oversee its sports division, while former YouTube executive Charlie Neiman joined in May to oversee sports partnerships and business development.
As technology companies have grown more interested in TV and video, they have expressed a growing desire for sports. Twitter has acquired the rights to stream a number of events, including professional football, and a recent deal with NBA.
Meanwhile, the IPC uses Dailymotion to live stream the current Paralympic Games, and Grabyo helped Formula E bring the sport to Facebook Live during the summer.
