Ten years ago, Ed mused here about which company might become the “Netflix of Sports” (SBJ March 28, 2016), 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.

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........

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