Amazon is going to pay $150 million for the exclusive right to broadcast an NFL playoff game next season.
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Originally, the cost the NFL was looking for from a broadcaster was estimated to be $120 million, but Alex Sherman of CNBC reported that it would be approximately $30 million more via a “source familiar with the matter.”
“I’m told the number is closer to $150 million rather than $120 million from a source familiar with the matter,” Sherman said. “The point of why this is important is that Peacock paid $110 million for the last playoff game. So, if Amazon is paying closer to $150 million for this one, now we’re talking about a 30-plus percent increase. Not a nine or 10 percent increase.”
In January, the NFL broadcasted the AFC Championship game between the Kansas Chiefs and Miami Dolphins game exclusively on Peacock. NBC paid $110 million for those rights. Amazon originally passed on that slot. Many were upset with the decision to put that game behind a paywall, but it averaged 23 million viewers and was the most streamed live event in history, according to Front Office Sports.
Peacock also hit No. 1 on the app store and its Google search volume was two times higher than it had ever been, according to Joe Pompliano.
Amazon had the rights to Thursday Night Football last season, and exclusively streamed a Black Friday game. The global conglomerate did not find the same success as Peacock did for its playoff game, totalling 9.6 million viewers.