Amazon Prime Video Predicted to Lead Streaming Sports Rights Investment in 2026

Amazon Prime Video is gearing up to be the top investor in streaming sports rights, with an expected spend of $3.8 billion in 2026. This surpasses DAZN’s investment and accounts for 27% of the total spending in the sports rights market for that year.

According to projections, streaming platforms are set to invest a whopping $14.2 billion in sports rights by 2026, a 7% increase from the previous year’s expected expenditure of $13.2 billion.

The big jump in Amazon’s investment is mainly due to the massive 11-year deal it secured with the NBA, valued at $1.8 billion per season, starting from the 2025-26 season. This move will position Amazon ahead of DAZN, which has been leading the pack in streaming sports rights spending since 2018. With this strategic acquisition of major sports rights, including the NBA deal, Amazon is poised to take the lead in 2026.

Ampere Analysis compiled the data, with Danni Moore, Senior Analyst – Ampere Sports at Ampere Analysis, stating that Amazon’s NBA deal, combined with its existing rights for NFL Thursday Night Football in the US and the UEFA Champions League in several European countries, will push it ahead of DAZN this year.

Aside from Amazon’s increased spending, Paramount+ is also expected to climb up the ranks of top streaming spenders due to its recent $1.1 billion-per-year deal with the UFC in the US. This highlights the competition among streaming platforms to secure lucrative sports rights.

It’s worth noting that global generalist streamers are playing a larger role in the sports rights market, projected to contribute to 44% of the total streaming spend on sports rights by 2026, up from 31% in 2025. This emphasizes the growing importance of live sports in attracting and retaining subscribers for streaming platforms.

Moore emphasized the significance of live sports for streaming platforms, noting that these rights provide Amazon with a year-round live sports lineup in the US, including popular leagues like the NFL and NBA. This not only helps attract new subscribers but also keeps existing ones engaged. With the increasing importance of live sports in subscriber acquisition and retention, generalist streamers like Amazon Prime Video are actively pursuing sports rights to stay competitive.

In light of this trend, global generalist streamers are expected to pose tough competition for platforms like DAZN in acquiring top-tier rights, as seen in Paramount+’s recent win of the UEFA Champions League rights tender in Germany over DAZN.

This insight was drafted using Mi3’s AI automation engine, with editorial oversight. Subscribe to Mi3 Australia for more industry updates straight to your inbox. If you have news to share with Mi3, send your media announcements to [email protected].