Amazon Prime Will Reportedly Have Exclusive Rights to Stream NFL Playoff Game Next Year
The NFL made history this postseason by streaming a playoff game on Peacock - marking the first time a playoff game had been offered only on an online platform. And off of that success, next year's playoffs will reportedly have a game streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in January of 2025.
The Dolphins-Chiefs game that streamed on Peacock this year garnered 23 million viewers - the most ever for a streamed event.
The weeks before the game this postseason, the NFL received a lot of backlash from people who didn't subscribe to Peacock - accusing the league of a money grab. But as it turns out, at least $23 million people didn't care. And based on that, the league will continue the trend.
As U.S. viewers continue to move from traditional cable to streaming services, the NFL is taking early advantage of that. And as popular as the NFL is, it could probably be broadcast just about anywhere and draw record views.
Back in 2015, the league aired the first playoff game in league history to not be broadcast on free over-the-air television, when the Carolina Panthers beat the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round. That game aired exclusively on ESPN, but that deal lasted only one season.
That game had the lowest ratings of a postseason contest in six years, and the league didn't attempt it again until 2023 when subscribership to streaming services rose dramatically.
