There was surprisingly little fuss made back in June when it was announced that Amazon had secured the rights to broadcast 20 Premier League matches per season over the next three years.
It made the news of course: how could such a significant development not with the e-commerce and digital streaming giant encroaching into a lucrative market that had previously been carved up between Sky and BT?
But the basic reporting of this news story aside, only the BBC and a handful of other sites delved deeper and asked what this might mean for the future of football, for match-goers and sofa-dwellers alike. This after all was the prospect of several games being broadcast live simultaneously, streamed to boot, and all for a £79 per year package that many people would already have in order to benefit from deliveries, access to Prime Video, music offers and more.
Watch Premier League Football Live and Free on Amazon Prime this Boxing Day
This was potentially a game-changer.
Similarly, when the first round of fixtures arrived they were preceded by the barest minimum of hoohah. I cannot recall seeing a single advert or even being prompted by a friendly reminder online and drawing on personal experience I had three separate conversations that each took an almost identical route.
First I was informed that this week Manchester City’s trip to Burnley and the Merseyside derby and eight other games would be shown on Amazon and their raised eyebrows and timbre suggested this was information recently procured. I was then asked for advice on how they might watch one of these matches.
“Do you have Amazon Prime?”
“Yes, for parcels.”
“Do you have a Sky box or BT box?”
Again, an affirmative.
“Then you can watch it on your telly. For free basically.”
It this low-key approach by Amazon was purposeful – and we can only assume that it was – then it’s an entirely welcome strategy, for we are all surely sick these days of the hype and bombast that surrounds the broadcasting of a simple game of football.
Normalised now are the Americanised promos that feel like box-office trailers; the glorification of managers as if they are gladiators. The infantilization and dramatic jump-cuts that are supposed to induce childish excitement and anticipation for a ‘Super’ Sunday but instead only evoke a weary sigh.
When Sky first ventured into British football – though ‘ventured’ feels far too diplomatic a word here – they ran never-ending promos to a Simple Minds track promising ‘a whole new ball game’. Amazon, for their part simply relied on good old-fashioned word of mouth.
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Better yet, this stripping away of silly nonsense was evident in their coverage which was widely praised for its absence of patronising bluster. A roll-call of well-chosen presenters and pundits talked eruditely about each game beforehand with not a single ‘AND IT’S LIVE’ to be heard.
Then the games were aired, chronicled by commentators who were notably balanced throughout, a wholly refreshing change from the preconceived narratives too often set out by Sky and BT that centre on Club X being in crisis or Club Y being the underdog that every neutral wants to see prevail. Should you not wish to listen to Clive Tyldesley or Jon Champion incidentally there was the option of switching to ‘Stadium Atmosphere’ on your feed.
Watch Premier League Football Live and Free on Amazon Prime this Boxing Day
Overall the tone felt under-stated, as if there was – thank god and finally – the presumption that by tuning in you were already well versed as to what was at stake and you merely now wanted to be entertained by the action and this bodes well for the Boxing Day extravaganza that will show nine games over the course of most of the day. I for one intend to lie on the sofa, semi-comatose with mince pie and lager fatigue, and enjoy every minute of it.
To date it can be said that Amazon have come in and made the broadcasting of football games considerably better for all. It’s been affordable nay a stonewall bargain. The coverage has been sensible and mature. The football has been the star, not an exchange in the studio designed to go viral.
It’s been one hell of a debut and hopefully the coming rounds of fixtures will deliver more of the same.