Amazon primed to snub Premier League

GLOBAL tech giants Amazon are unlikely to bid for Premier League rights in next month’s auction for one good reason — they lack sufficient statistics of their own on TV sports rights.

Amazon’s approach is based on analytics and having only just started acquiring major sports rights, they may not have enough information at their fingertips to spend heavily on the PL in one country.

Their cautious attitude is demonstrated by the delayed opening this week of their pioneering checkout-free Amazon Go convenience store in Seattle — they had wanted to ensure the sensor technology which tracks all purchases was fully operational.

Another sign of their safety-first strategy is Amazon’s decision to gauge viewer reaction to their £10million fly- on-the-wall documentary series inside Manchester City, which will be broadcast at the end of the season, before they sign a similar contract with another PL club.

The new Premier League package of midweek simulcast coverage of all matches on the night is seen as the option that interests Amazon most this time around.

But serious doubts were expressed at the UEFA Nations League draw in Lausanne this week whether the UK’s inconsistent broadband infrastructure could cope with streaming up to eight matches simultaneously across the country.