Amazon's huge NFL deal includes an exclusive game, which could happen during fantasy league playoffs
Picture this: It’s Week 15 of the fantasy football season and you’re gearing up for a huge playoff game against your biggest rival. Your gamble on A.J. Brown’s strong finish to 2019 has paid off. He’s one of the best players on your team. There’s no way you’re going to miss out watching Brown put up numbers for your team in its biggest game of the season, but there’s a problem: You can’t actually watch the Tennessee Titans’ game.
That could be an issue NFL fans face in the coming seasons. The NFL and Amazon Prime agreed to a new three-year contract that will allow Amazon to carry games near the end of the season. While that hasn’t been an issue in the past — as those games have been carried on other platforms — this deal gives Amazon Prime one exclusive game on a Saturday near the end of the season. Local markets will be allowed to carry that game. If you don’t live in a local market, you’ll have to be an Amazon Prime member to watch that contest.
There’s no guarantee the Amazon Prime game will take place during the fantasy playoffs. All we know is the contest will take place late in the season.
The league has yet to announce which teams will play in Amazon’s exclusive game, but that announcement could have major fantasy implications. If it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Titans, that will cause some outrage. But if it’s a team like the Baltimore Ravens, prepare for a ton of anger. Fantasy fans will go ballistic if they can’t watch Lamar Jackson in a crucial fantasy game.
Ultimately, Amazon Prime will carry just one game per year. While fans will be desperate to consume every single football game once live sports return, missing one game shouldn’t be a major issue in the long run.
Sure, it will be frustrating if you can’t watch one of your fantasy players go for 124 yards and two touchdowns, but at least you’ll be able to watch the rest of your team somehow choke away that lead in excruciating fashion, giving you yet another premature fantasy playoff exit.
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