Amazon Prime Video has scored what it described as a “historic” deal to stream Ligue 1 soccer in France, meaning it will be the destination to watch teams including Paris Saint-Germain and Lille.
The Jeff Bezos-owned streamer will show 302 live Ligue 1 matches a season, which equates to eight games a week, or 80% of the available games. Amazon will also have 10 top pick matches for the season, 66 second and third picks, and a Sunday highlights show.
The pact with the Ligue de Football Professionnel kicks off in August and will run for three years, building on Amazon’s existing sports rights including the English Premier League in the UK. The deal is reportedly worth €250M ($302M) a year.
Amazon’s entry into the market has ruffled feathers. Canal+ has also secured Ligue 1 rights, but said it is not prepared to share the soccer league with Amazon. “Canal+ will not, therefore, be broadcasting Ligue 1,” it said in a statement, per AFP.
Alex Green, managing director of Prime Video Sport Europe, said: “Ligue 1 is the country’s most watched domestic football competition and we’re incredibly happy to bring every club and the most thrilling matches to Prime Video each week for the next three seasons.”