Amazon will be bringing live Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Hockey League (NHL) games and additional sports content to its Prime Video streaming service after making a $100M minority investment in Diamond Sports Group (DSG), the nation’s leading provider of local sports content.
DSG filed for bankruptcy in March 2023 but announced a framework to enable it to emerge from bankruptcy on January 17, after reaching a deal with creditors and Amazon for funding. Under the arrangement with Amazon, Prime Video will become DSG’s primary partner for direct-to-consumer access to local DSG channels and content, including live MLB, NBA and NHL games, as well as pre-and post-game programming, DSG said.
Pricing and availability of DSG’s channels and content on Prime Video will be announced at a later date, so we don't yet know if this new sports content will be included as part of a standard Amazon Prime subscription, or not.
Under its Bally Sports banner, DSG provides live coverage and additional programming for more than 40 major sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays in the MLB; Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA; and the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators in the NHL.
Prime Video to roll out ads this month
Amazon will be launching ads on Prime Video starting on January 29. Prime Members can pre-register for the new Prime Video Ad-Free plan, which will cost an additional $2.99 per month. If you pre-register, you will not be billed until January 29 when ads go live. However, even with the ad-free plan, live events, including sports, will continue to include advertising.
If you pre-register, you will not be billed until January 29 when ads go live. However, even with the ad-free plan, live events, i plan, which will cost an additional $2.99 per month.If you pre-register, you will not be billed until January 29 when ads go live. However, even with the ad-free plan, live events, including sports, will continue to include advertising..
If you’re already spending more than enough on streaming services, we've outlined some ways to start saving some money on your streaming services, including canceling unused subscriptions, considering pay-per-view, bundling services, sharing subscriptions within your household, checking for limited-time offers, taking advantage of free trials and more.
