Amazon controls the fate of future sports broadcasts and will forever change how consumers see the sport industry.

Introduction

Acquisitions mean everything in the business world. Large-scale companies have resources at their disposal to determine the course of an entire industry. Take Facebook, for example, which took MySpace, improved upon it, and since paved the way for other technology giants such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon. Since its creation, Facebook has utilized other technology companies, such as Instagram, Whatsapp, Oculus VR, and others, to increase their conglomerate in the technology industry.

Relevance of Technology and Sport

So, what does this have to do with sports and broadcasting? In 2022, Amazon will become the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football. Within years, Apple TV, Netflix, YouTube TV, and other streaming platforms will host and broadcast live sports.

Changing Sport Broadcasting Format

The NFL and the NBA have been two of the most progressive leagues with changing the broadcast format. The NFL on Nickelodeon was a tremendous success for both parties, as it modified traditional broadcasts as the sports consumer knew and targeted a younger audience to create lifelong fans of the NFL. Utilizing elements tailored to the younger audience, such as a consumer-voted award in the NVP (Nick Valuable Player), slime graphics prevalent throughout the broadcast, and kid-friendly broadcasters, the NFL ventured into the world of changing the format of sports broadcasts.

Amazon and Thursday Night Football

Now that Amazon handles the reins of Thursday Night Football, the possibilities of tailoring to specific audiences are endless. Sports gambling will be the biggest proponent of Amazon’s Thursday Night acquisition. Amazon Web Services can run complex algorithms to generate instant gambling lines for fans to place live bets. Along with broadcasters mentioning lines on-air and weaving in sports betting into the broadcast is sure to be a featured component of Thursday Night Football. Amazon is sure to implement a live gambling interface on home televisions. It will be a monetizing spectacle tailored directly to interests utilizing Amazon’s advertisements and algorithms.

Advertising Potential

Now that Amazon controls the entirety of the broadcast, Amazon can promote their business as much (or little) as they want. Since they don’t have to pay themselves for their marketing on their network, Amazon’s advertisements will generate steep profits and the first of their kind.

Chat Rooms Galore

Amazon is sure to have a comment section on the broadcast, where fans can meet like-minded others with similar interests. Monitoring the chat room will be difficult for the thousands of users watching the games. If Amazon creates separate group chats with certified users utilizing their information and monitors the chat room excessively, the product could be a defining broadcast feature.

Broadcasting Opportunities

Now on to one of the most news-centered pieces of the broadcasts, the commentators themselves. Troy Aikman is heavily rumored to join the team, with big-name talents such as Tom Brady, Al Michaels, and Kirk Herbstreit in contention for the role. It is curious Amazon does not want to embrace the progressive side of broadcasting and hire new talent but instead profit off a figurehead. This method seems to bank off well-known commodities and legitimize their broadcasts with experts in the field, like how news organizations handle acquisitions.

Writing Platform?

A potential add-on for Amazon’s broadcasts could be assembling a new website for sports content. “Amazon Sports” could provide analysis of the game, hiring up and coming talents to appeal to modern talent. Before long, Amazon will be a central hub of sports content and become the basis for technology companies entering the sports world.

Conclusion

Technology giants venture into opportunities they believe will make them a profit. Amazon recognized the sports industry as a proprietor of income and now will change the sports industry as everyone knows it. For better or worse, sports professionals must become receptive to Silicon Valley venturing into—and transforming—the sports industry. The possibilities of technology and sport are limitless, and the consumer stands to benefit from disruptors of the sport industry.