With brief, occasional, italicized and sometimes gratuitous commentary…
• GeekWire reports that an internal Amazon memo says that during last Thursday's NFL game - streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime Video for the first time - the company said that it saw the “biggest three hours for U.S. Prime signups ever."
The game was part of Amazon’s $11 billion, 11-year exclusive streaming rights deal with the NFL - a gamble that the package of games would drive more people to become Prime members. Research has shown that Prime members spend considerably more on Amazon than non-Prime members.
Expect that we'll see more deals struck by streaming companies for exclusive sporting events and packages. These events are differentiated content that require immediate attention; unlike scripted shows, they can't just been anytime - there is a real advantage for viewers to see them in real time. This is a great metaphor for what retailers need to do - provide differentiated products and services that can't be replicated by the competition down the street or online.
