Is the ‘Netflix of Sports’ … Amazon? John Kosner's Latest SBJ Column With Ed Desser
Original Article: Sports Business Journal, by Ed Desser and John Kosner, August 24th, 2026
Ten years ago, Ed mused here about which company might become the “Netflix of Sports,” the digital disrupter that assembles a critical mass of sports, upending the competitive landscape for live programming rights and distribution. Likely candidates then included ESPN and MLBAM.
Five years later (SBJ Jan. 18, 2021), we wrote that the digital titans, the “barbarians at the gate,” seemed likely to conquer sports, their only remaining uncaptured content bastion.
This September, Amazon Prime Video turns 20; it’s currently in the pole position. Once, it seemed unlikely that consumers would embrace their e-commerce hub as a major place for entertainment. Six months afterward, DVD-by-mail Netflix launched its own streaming service. That combination, plus the ascension of YouTube (born February 2005), has radically upended linear media.
Not alone, we forecast that legacy networks would continue to dominate the bulk of sports rights ownership. Meanwhile, Amazon has, for now, broken away from its peers — with exclusive NFL (including a playoff game), NBA (with alternating conference finals) and NASCAR rights. It may not (yet) have the volume you expect of a sports “Netflix,” but it has the quality.
Here’s why:
Reach. Per Alexa, Amazon’s 167 million U.S. 18-plus reach is comparable to broadcast networks. It already generates similar audience levels as traditional TV for NFL and NBA games. But with over 200 million paid members worldwide, it just brought NBA games to 200-plus countries, increasing audiences 28%, including huge gains in Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. A 65 million-home (and shrinking) U.S. network can’t do that.
The Triple Revenue Stream. One-upping cable’s dual revenue stream (subscriptions and advertising), Amazon also sells other things, from merchandise to sports apparel to its Channels business (other sports programming networks and platforms).
Amazon Web Services. Tie-ups with AWS makes it a crucial league strategic partner, driving incremental compensation, well beyond video rights fees, promotion and inventory.
Production. When Amazon launched its exclusive NFL “Thursday Night Football” coverage in 2022, it deployed six production trucks staffed by NBC’s stellar crew. Today, it is the only streaming sports player that produces its own broadcasts. Its NBA coverage featured a spectacular studio set on the (Amazon-owned) MGM lot. The AWS connection enables unique AI integrations, like the NASCAR “Burn Bar” graphic, estimating fuel depletion in real time.
Talent. Amazon’s NFL (Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit), NBA (Ian Eagle, Blake Griffin) and NASCAR (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) talents are top-flight.
Promotion. Linear TV networks promote with on-channel and cross-channel spots, and their apps. Once they bought print newspaper display ads! Amazon literally has delivery vehicles — who has not received a package with “NBA on Prime” promotion, delivered by a signage-covered Amazon van? The Amazon and Prime home pages serve tens of millions impressions daily, a promotional juggernaut never before available for sports. Amazon has supercharged the crucial promo game plan multifold, aiding sports fans’ discovery. Its highlighted live sports programming lineup and auto-start preview pane (with a countdown clock!) take viewers right into the action.
Channels. That’s accelerated by Amazon’s 1-Click subscription for other third-party (sports) networks, also making it a contender to YouTube as the new sports viewing hub.
Data. Linear networks had to rely on Nielsen to estimate their program audiences. Amazon not only knows exactly how many viewers there are, but who they are; what and how they watch; their purchases; their music; their email and street address — even their credit card numbers! There has never been a programmer with this level of audience insight.
Ad Sales. In 2024, Amazon shrewdly opted all viewers into advertising, offering a pay tier to avoid commercials. That birthed a large and sophisticated ad platform for demanding buyers focused on ROAS (Return on Ad Spend). Traditional networks have mostly offered limited creative options — a single feed, selling/delivering the same commercial message to everyone, plus local affiliate sales. While still basically passing through the same TV commercials, Amazon, with its treasure trove of data, has greater potential to selectively deliver particular messages to particular viewers. Over time, more targeted spots create more advertiser value, and thereby more Amazon revenue. Additionally, Amazon is starting to develop AI-produced ads for particular viewers based on their viewing or purchase behaviors.
Financials. Amazon is no ordinary media company. It is a $2.9 trillion market-cap behemoth — seven times bigger than the entire traditional entertainment business (Disney + Comcast + Fox + WBD + Paramount). It generates $115 billion in pretax income — nearly four times the entire national sports TV rights market. Simply put, if it wanted to, Amazon could outbid any suitor for sports rights it wants, several times over, without becoming unprofitable. It dwarfs even Netflix, despite its $321 billion market cap and $14 billion in earnings. Of course, Amazon is also spending $220 billion on AI capex this year.
“All hours are not created equal,” Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said recently. “Live hours do a lot of lifting for us; for acquisition, monetization, fandom, promotion.” The biggest digital players don’t need sports rights like linear networks. But challenges with engagement and churn, because of ever-increasing free entertainment content, will drive more competition for live sports acquisitions among the giants. Already the NBA League Pass partner, Amazon could play a key role in the NBA’s new combined local TV hub next season. We also suspect Amazon will be the first nontraditional broadcaster to air the Super Bowl, by the late 2030s. By then, Netflix will also likely be a “Netflix of Sports.”
Ed Desser was the NBA’s senior media executive for 23 years. Today he runs consultancy Desser Sports Media Inc. (www.desser.tv). John Kosner was ESPN’s senior digital media executive and is now an investor in digital startups and runs consultancy Kosner Media (www.kosnermedia.com). They are co-authors of the upcoming book “We’re Live! Inside the BIG Business of Sports Media.”
