Amazon to launch new app for streaming sports and related content: Report

Amazon might soon launch a standalone sports streaming app. This move would align with Amazon's strategy to strengthen its sports programming offerings through its Prime Video platform. Sports has easily become one of the most popular live streaming avenues and it can help platforms like Amazon Prime gain more viewership.

According to a report by The Information, Amazon will be stepping into the arena against competitors like Disney, which is currently the market leader in the sports segment. Amazon already owns the rights to stream several high-profile sports events, including Thursday Night Football and Premier League soccer matches in the UK, which will help it create  this new property. Falling in line with the new report, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently called live sports “a unique asset” and also confirmed that that the brand will continue to invest in it.

Amazon has also invested in other sports content to complement the live games, as the company launched original sports talk shows on both Prime Video and its ad-supported streaming service Freevee.

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In terms of subscription fees, Amazon could club the sports streaming benefits with the current Prime Video plans or else setup a new tier with exclusive sports content.  

The report does not reveal the launch time of the new application and does not confirm if Amazon will ultimately go through the process to launch the sports app. The company has recently been evaluating its unprofitable business units and implementing layoffs in response to rising costs and declining demand due to economic uncertainty.

Amazon is one of the biggest tech brands in the US to have laid off employees in past few months. The company announced job cuts in the devices segment. 

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