Amazon is also the official streaming service of one of the most recognizable franchises in the WNBA, the Seattle Storm.
Two years ago, Amazon became the first streaming company with exclusive global streaming rights to a women’s professional sports league when it reached a deal with the WNBA to broadcast games on Prime Video.
The package included one game per week during the season, including the first-ever Commissioner’s Cup in-season competition and the tournament final. Now those rights are up, according to Marie Donoghue, Prime Video’s Vice President of Global Sports Video, and there’s mutual interest in re-signing with Amazon and continuing streaming the W around the world.
“I’m a huge fan of the WNBA personally, and our partnership with the WNBA at Amazon has been very successful,” Donoghue told Boardroom as part of our larger look at Prime Video’s growing sports media footprint. “We’re absolutely interested in expanding and continuing that relationship.”
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While Amazon doesn’t comment on rights negotiations, Donoghue said it’s safe to assume it wants to extend its WNBA relationship. A league insider confirmed to Boardroom that the W is interested in expanding and continuing its relationship with Amazon leading up to the 2023 season tipping off on May 19.
The next day, the Seattle Storm host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, with Amazon beginning its second season as the Storm’s official streaming service as one of the very few streamers to hold local broadcast rights in any major American professional sports league.
“We’ve been really happy and the team’s been happy,” Donoghue said. “Local fans are the most passionate, avid fans in sports. And we were offered the opportunity with the Storm, which wanted to ensure they were also reaching fans who don’t have pay TV. That’s where we can provide additional reach, and then that’s been quite successful.”
Suffice it to say, expect the WNBA to live on Prime Video both in Seattle and nationally in 2023 and beyond.
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