Prime Video Review: Features, Accessibility and Sports Coverage
*This guide has been updated as of 2024
It should come as no surprise that Amazon is playing such a huge role in the modern-day streaming space. Prime Video is one of the best perks going, giving Amazon Prime members a sensational mix of TV shows, movies, and, yes, live sports, to go along with their next-day delivery service.
Whether you plan on being gripped by shows like ‘The Last of Us’ or ‘Yellowstone', or want to enjoy Amazon’s unique take on live football, this subscription can keep you entertained for hours. In this guide, we will go through everything that Prime Video has to offer, so you can decide if it is the platform for you.
Prime Video Streaming Service
- Affiliation: Owned by Amazon, integrated into the Amazon Prime ecosystem.
- Notable Sports Rights: NFL’s Thursday Night Football (exclusive), NBA (2025 onwards), WNBA, MLB (Yankees home games), NHL (select Seattle Kraken games) NASCAR Cup Series, Premier Boxing Champions,
- Cheapest Subscription Plan: $8.99/month for Prime Video only (no other Amazon Prime perks).
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial
- Availability: Accessible in over 200 countries
- Broadcast Schedule: Find upcoming live coverage here
What is Prime Video?
Prime Video is one of the most intriguing streaming options out there, most known by sports fans for its flagship offering of Thursday Night Football NFL games. With this being an exclusive offering, Prime Video is an essential for NFL fans, and it’s worth it, as broadcasts are supported by some special features that really add to the viewing experience. For example, fans can watch along with the help of Prime Vision, provided by Next Gen Stats, which will identify potential blitzers, receiver route trees, ball-carrier speeds, and more.
For hockey and basketball fans, Prime Video provides regional coverage of Seattle Kraken NHL games and Seattle Storm WNBA games, which is great news for local fanbases. There will then be plenty more action coming from the court moving forward, with the NBA inking an 11-year deal with Amazon that begins in 2025; more on that later. Soccer fans can benefit from National Women’s Soccer League Friday night matches and quarterfinals, meanwhile, baseball fans in New York can tune into live streams of Yankee home games. Prime really is a hub for sport, especially if you are in one of the locations just listed.
To add even more variety to your life, Prime Video comes with the option of adding channels like MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, and PGA Tour Live. Of course, it’s not just sports that you can enjoy, with Prime Video also boasting a massive library of over 25,000 TV shows and movies. From blockbusters like ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘American Sniper’ to fun sporting stories like ‘Air’, you’ll never be bored.
Live Sports on Prime Video
Prime Video’s modest subscription fee of $8.99 gives users access to a fantastic array of sports, entertainment, and movies. For a slightly more expensive fee of $14.99, you can pair this streaming service with Amazon’s other Prime perks, as a fantastic all-round upgrade to your day-to-day experience.
As part of the Prime Video package, you benefit from being able to stream on 3 devices at one time, offline downloads, and a constantly growing catalog of original programs. The most exciting element for sports fans though, is the constantly expanding offering of live sports:
NFL Thursday Night Football
Amazon began streaming Thursday Night Football games in 2018, via FOX, before gaining exclusive rights in 2022. Since then, Prime Video has been the proud host of the weekly TNF fixture, and they have quickly made it an even more interesting and captivating experience. Not only can fans enjoy all of the on-field action, but they can now fully immerse themselves in a world of fascinating data.
Amazon’s machine learning model will tell fans how many yards of separation is being gained by a wide receiver, in addition to whether or not a team should go for it on fourth down. Defensive alerts are also identified by a red circle, and plenty of other stats will flash up from time to time as well, including pressure probability, ball-carrier speed, yards after catch, and more.
This year, the Black Friday Football Game has been added to the Prime Video offering, and a Wild Card Playoff Game is also going to be shown on the platform from 2025 onwards, in addition to one preseason game.
NBA & WNBA
In 2025, Prime will embark on a new 11-year agreement with the NBA, that will include global coverage of 66 NBA regular-season games a year, including the opening week doubleheader and a new Black Friday game. Subscribers will also be able to tune into the NBA Cup knockout rounds, semifinals, and Finals. On top of all this, Prime Video will also showcase the SoFi NBA Play-in tournament, playoff rounds, and NBA finals in 6 years of the 11-year agreement.
The WNBA is also featured on Prime Video, starting with 21 games in 2024 and increasing in the years that follow. This means Prime Video subscribers will get their fix of Steph Curry and Caitlin Clark fireworks.
ONE Championship & Premier Boxing Champions
For fans of fighting, there is plenty to enjoy on Prime Video. The One Championship will give MMA fans something to enjoy, showcasing at least one event per month, always on Friday nights. Boxing fans will then benefit from the inclusion of Premier Boxing Champions, which features some of the best fighters in the world.
MLB & NHL (region dependent)
Fans who happen to live in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, or northeast Pennsylvania will be able to catch select Yankee games throughout the MLB season. These will be accompanied by Amazon’s X-Ray technology, which provides in-game stats, player details, and play-by-play information.
Similarly, subscribers in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska can watch any Seattle Kraken NHL clashes that are not televised nationally.
Subscription Plans
Prime Video offers two primary subscription plans:
Standalone Prime Video
$8.99/mo*
This budget-friendly option provides access to the entire Prime Video library, including all the live sports listed above (region-dependent in some cases). Subscribers can also add on optional channels such as MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, and more. You will not, however, benefit from Amazon Prime’s other perks.
Amazon Prime with Prime Video
$14.99/mo or $139.00/year**
If you want the whole shebang, then this is the option for you, giving you everything from the standalone Prime Video offering, plus perks like free next-day shipping, exclusive shopping deals, and access to Amazon Prime Music. Sports fans will retain the same access as in the cheaper package, but with added value from Amazon’s broader services.
For sports fans, the standalone $8.99/month option is sufficient to enjoy Prime Video’s extensive sports lineup. However, the $14.99/month Amazon Prime membership is a very good option to consider for a more wide-ranging upgrade to your day-to-day life.
Offers & Free trial
Amazon is one of the most generous platforms out there, tempting users with a 30-day free trial that gives you access to all Amazon Prime services, including Prime Video, free, two-day shipping, and Amazon Prime Music. If it sounds like a good option for you, give it a go here.
Author: Venuse, Inc.