Prices for an Amazon Prime membership are going up and the company says its exclusive deal for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football package is the reason why.
According to TheWrap, the yearly price for Amazon Prime will increase to $139 (up from $119) and a monthly subscription will cost $14.99 (up from $12.99). This is the first increase in a Prime membership since 2018.
How do you feel about Al Michaels and Troy Aikman possibly going to Amazon now?
For current Amazon Prime members, the price hike will go into effect after March 25, on the subscribers’ renewal date. The increased price will apply to new members on Feb. 18.
The price increase was revealed during an earnings call with investors on Thursday and cited the Thursday Night Football deal as a main reason for the additional costs. Other reasons given for the increase include expanded benefits for Prime members, rising wages, and greater transportation costs for shipping.
Amazon’s exclusive deal for Thursday Night Football begins with the 2022 NFL season. The online retailer and streaming platform agreed to an 11-year contract worth a reported $1 billion per season.
TNF games will only be available on Amazon, except for the home markets of the teams playing each week. In those markets, the games will air on local broadcast TV. Amazon will carry 15 regular-season Thursday night games and one preseason game per year. The exclusive deal runs through the 2032 season.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
