Analysis: EPL on Amazon extends reach to 72%
December 5, 2019
Amazon’s screening of English Premier League (EPL) football matches has extended the reach of live coverage of the competition’s games to nearly three-quarters of domestic fans, according to Richard Broughton, Director at Ampere Analysis.
Amazon holds rights to televise 20 matches each season of the Premier League for the next three years. Prior to the debut of Amazon’s coverage, Premier League fans in the UK were able to watch live coverage of games via BT Sport and Sky Sports, which collectively hold the bulk of the EPL’s TV rights in the UK.
Amazon’s distribution now means that 72 per cent of EPL fans have at least some access to live EPL matches in the home, increasing reach among fans by a third compared to the 54 per cent which have either or both a BT Sport or Sky Sport subscription. The remaining 28 per cent of UK EPL fans are reliant on viewing live matches at sports bars and clubs, or watching highlights via BBC’s Match of the Day.
“While there is concern in the wider industry that fragmentation of EPL rights across three buyers means that fans are having to pay more to see all of the key games each year, Amazon’s coverage has already extended live reach to a further third of fans previously unable to watch any live matches at home,” notes Broughton.