Amazon suggests Live Sports Streaming

Amazon has held discussions to create a premium, exclusive sports package with a Prime membership. It gives Amazon shoppers free two-day shipping, plus free access to the company’s growing library of streaming TV and music.

Amazon apparently never stops thinking about possible perks it could add to its annual $99 Prime membership, and the next feature could be live sports.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the mega-retailer is looking into a premium streaming sports package and has met with the NBA, NFL, MLB and Major League Soccer.

Amazon representatives did not immediate respond to a request for comment.

We’ve heard reports that Amazon is interested in sports before.

AMZN’s entry into worldwide ticker markets should prove much easier than in the USA, where major venues, artists, and professional sports leagues often have exclusive contracts with Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation. Some of the biggest leagues in the world already have deals with cable providers or satellite networks. Meanwhile it would also help Amazon differentiate itself from Netflix, Hulu, and upcoming on-demand launches like AT&T’s DirecTV Now. “Amazon is looking for content that will drive subscription revenue”, he said. 47% said they’d check Amazon for 50% or more of their holiday purchases overall, and 73% said they’d make a purchase on Amazon during that five-day period.

The U.S. market, in particular, could present a challenge, as Amazon would run up against entrenched competition like Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation.

Before the end of the year, Amazon Prime could be available in almost 200 countries, making it a more formidable global foe for Netflix, which is already operating many countries outside of the U.S.

Another job advertisement for a Web Development Engineer on Amazon Tickets aims to solve its perceived problem that ticket-buying can easily become a frustrating experience. As with any such scheme, Amazon could decide the idea is good but the reality less appealing, and abandon its licensing efforts.