Amazon Looks To Be King Of Streaming Sports With Reported Interest In Diamond Sports Group

Some five years ago, nearly every major entertainment company removed their content from Netflix to build their own alternative streaming platform.

The space has become increasingly convoluted as a result. And insufficient.

There are too many streaming options. The average household is willing to pay for only two or three services a month. Customer defection rates are rapidly rising.

Apple+ and Paramount+ have discussed combining for a bundle to offset their annual declines. Max looks to do the same. Peacock could, as well.

But not Amazon.

Prime Video has adopted a different approach to the Streaming Wars. Instead of bundling or cutting costs, Amazon has shifted its focus toward live sports.

Already, Prime Video laps the streaming field during the fall by offering an exclusive NFL regular season game every Thursday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon now hopes to bolster its sports division after football season by investing in Diamond Sports Group.

Diamond, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, carries games for more than 40 sports teams across the NBA, NHL, and MLB.

Diamond owns and operates 19 regional sports networks, including Bally Sports Arizona, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, and Bally Sports SoCal.

"If an agreement is reached, Amazon’s Prime Video platform would eventually become the streaming home for Diamond’s games," reports the WSJ.

Amazon Prime took over Thursday Night Football last season. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Speaking of the NBA, Prime Video is expected to be among the most aggressive bidders for national NBA rights following the 2024-25 seasons.

The expectation around the industry is that Amazon will look to debut a Thursday night doubleheader of NBA games following the conclusion of Thursday Night Football.

Prime Video could also carry select NBA playoff windows.

And then there's professional wrestling.

WWE is in the final stages of securing a broadcast deal for its flagship Monday Night Raw program. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported earlier this month that Raw is likely to land on either TNT/TBS, Disney's FX or Amazon Prime Video.

For Amazon, adding Raw would be substantial. Unlike the "real" sports, Raw is year-round. There is no off-season in wrestling.

And at around 1.8 million viewers a week, more people watch Raw than the average NBA, MLB, or NHL regular season game.

Ultimately, Amazon Prime Video cannot compete with the barrage of quality, original content that Netflix produces. Nor can it top the legacy libraries that Disney+ or Max offer.

However, Amazon would be the clear king of sports streaming should it bundle the NBA, Bally Sports, Raw, Thursday Night Football, and the YES Network together.

Not even ESPN+, a sports-specific streaming option, could top that.