Amazon is developing an independent application to watch sportsaccording to a new report. The move signals Amazon's continued push to invest in Prime Video and live sports content. If released, the standalone app would better highlight Amazon's sports content, which is currently included on the company's main Prime Video platform.
The report comes as Amazon CEO, Abndy Jassy, recently called live sports “a unique asset” that Amazon will continue to invest in. Amazon's current live sports offerings include exclusive rights to the NFL's Thursday Night Football, along with some major league football and US baseball games. Amazon has also invested in other sports content to complement the live games., as the company released original sports talk shows on both Prime Video and its ad-supported streaming service Freevee.
It is unknown when he plans to launch the independent sports app. It is also possible that the company decides to shelve the plans entirely.
Amazon's plans for a standalone sports app suggest the company is exploring new ways to leverage its investments in live sports into additional revenue streams. Considering the high costs of streaming rights, it wouldn't be surprising if the company plans to charge a separate subscription fee for sports content with this standalone app. Amazon may also decide to offer a separate subscription tier that includes your sports content.
The new report comes as Amazon has been reviewing parts of its unprofitable divisions., which led to the removal of numerous roles. Even amid these cost-cutting efforts, Amazon appears to be committed to building Prime Video and its live sports streaming content.
Amazon isn't the only major company looking to continue investing in live sports content.as the company faces increasing competition from other tech giants that have also signed sports streaming deals. Last week, Google's YouTube secured NFL Sunday Ticket in a landmark streaming deal. On the other hand, Apple has earned the rights to Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer games.
