Amazon sets Monday upfront presentation focused on live sports offerings, challenging TV giants

The news: Amazon will claim a prime Monday evening slot during TV's upfront week on May 12, challenging traditional networks with an expanding Prime Video sports portfolio.

Live sports dominance continues driving media investment:

• Live sports commanded 39.5% of Q4 TV ad spending, with football claiming 96 of the top 100 broadcasts in 2023, per Nielsen.
• Amazon's NBA streaming package will deliver 66 games with integrated advertising opportunities beginning in late 2025. Amazon is projected to generate $750 million in NBA streaming ad revenues alone, per MoffettNathanson analysis.

Sports viewing habits show clear demographic patterns:

• Adults 55 to 64 watch 5.2 hours of live sports weekly versus 1.9 hours of highlights.
• Younger viewers balance consumption more evenly, with 3.4 hours live and 2.7 hours of highlights.

Why it matters: Amazon's move into the coveted Monday upfront slot represents a strategic push into traditional TV's most valuable territory.

The timing positions Amazon against established players:

• It will compete with Fox and NBCUniversal's Telemundo for advertiser attention on May 12.
• Multisport rights enable year-round audience reach across demographics.
• Platform fragmentation creates opportunities for integrated advertising solutions.

The sports media landscape is rapidly evolving:

• Women's sports viewership has doubled since 2022, attracting new advertising categories.
• Netflix is entering live sports, while ESPN plans a comprehensive streaming app.
• Single teams' games now appear across up to five different services weekly.

Our take: Amazon's positioning at the Upfronts represents a watershed moment in the advertising landscape; the company's blend of premium sports rights and advanced analytics positions it to claim a larger share of TV ad budgets.

Emerging players like Amazon signal that the future of live sports advertising will be transformed in several ways:

• Streaming platforms will integrate sophisticated dynamic ad insertion technology.
• Advertisers will increasingly demand unified cross-platform campaign capabilities.
• Real-time analytics will become standard for performance measurement.

Industry consolidation appears inevitable as the market matures:

• Rights costs will continue climbing as streaming competition intensifies.
• Platforms will forge partnerships to reduce viewer friction.
• Traditional broadcasters will accelerate their digital transformation efforts.

While established networks maintain strong sports portfolios, Amazon's integrated approach to sports advertising, combined with these industry trends, signals a fundamental shift in how brands will allocate their media spending in the coming years.

This article is part of EMARKETER’s client-only subscription Briefings—daily newsletters authored by industry analysts who are experts in marketing, advertising, media, and tech trends. To help you finish 2024 strong, and start 2025 off on the right foot, articles like this one—delivering the latest news and insights—are completely free through January 31, 2025. If you want to learn how to get insights like these delivered to your inbox every day, and get access to our data-driven forecasts, reports, and industry benchmarks, schedule a demo with our sales team.