The first NFL game to air exclusively on a national streaming service drew an impressive crowd on Saturday.
A Monday article in The Hollywood Reporter says the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals earned 4.8 million on Amazon Prime, Twitch and mobile platforms operated by the NFL. These viewers, along with local stations in San Francisco and Phoenix, raised the total audience to 5.9 million, according to the NFL.
The four regular season 2020 games that aired on the NFL Network and affiliates had an average of 5.6 million viewers, notes the Reporter.
According to the NFL, 11.2 million people watched at least part of the game on online platforms. The Reporter notes that the average of 4.8 million who logged in to view the game is the largest digital audience the NFL has ever had for a regular season game.
Amazon and the NFL have been streaming partners for several years, but Amazon was not the main outlet for a regular season game before this game on Saturday.
Amazon’s presence at NFL games could grow as negotiations with other media organizations begin. The entertainment magazine reports that Amazon could possibly pull the Thursday primetime package from current Fox and NFL Network establishments.
The NFL’s contracts with ESPN, CBS, Fox and NBC are set to expire in the coming years, although the Reporter notes that the league will likely want to renegotiate these contracts before they end.