Amazon Will Exclusively Broadcast A 2025 NFL Playoff Game, In Another Sign That Streaming Is Here To Stay

Streaming is the new future for how the NFL will broadcast its games, and Amazon is helping realize that future.

The company announced that it will use its streaming service - Prime Video - to exclusively broadcast an NFL playoff game next year (except for the TV markets of the two teams in question). As of right now, the round that this matchup will take place has not been determined.

This isn’t the first time this will happen during the biggest time of the year for the NFL. During the Wild Card Round of the NFL playoffs, the league granted exclusive rights to Peacock to broadcast the Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins matchup. While many fans lamented the change, the move turned out to be a huge success from a streaming perspective.

Roughly 23 million people watched the game, and Variety reported that roughly 2.8 million people subscribed to Peacock, generating $17 million in revenue. The game was the single-biggest subscriber-acquisition moment in the history of the company.

So, after learning of that success, Amazon is hoping that it can replicate that in the 2024–25 playoffs. It also makes sense from a logistics standpoint, Amazon has a clause in its contract with the NFL that allows it to claim next year’s game instead of other companies.

Yes, this might be an unwelcome change for most fans. I understand the appeal of not having to subscribe to another streaming service just to watch one game.

But that’s just the way that entertainment works now. Everything is streamed, and fewer people are using traditional cable television for what they want to watch.

The NFL, as always, will follow the money. Right now, the money is in streaming.