Twitter "reaffirmed its interest" in the Australian Football League, as AFL execs "begin to cast an eye" toward the next round of broadcast rights that could involve Amazon, according to Jon Pierik of THE AGE. On Wednesday, Twitter revealed it would "continue to embrace posting highlights of the AFL," including in partnership with the league's free-to-air broadcaster, Channel Seven. Twitter Global VP of Revenue & Operations Matthew Derella said that "live is at the core of Twitter." He said, "Asia Pacific is the growth engine of Twitter and we could not be prouder to extend our success with both live streaming and in-stream premium video content in the region." Amazon "has spread into a variety of fields" and now has a market capitalization of more than A$300B ($239.4B). It is "increasingly searching for live sports content for its Prime video." AFL Chair Richard Goyder said that there was "no reason why Amazon could not emerge as a major player" when the league's six-year, A$2.5B ($1.99B) deal expires in '22. Goyder said, "Amazon may end up being even bigger disruptors in the media and financial services than it does in retail" (THE AGE, 9/13).
IN GERMANY: SOCCEREX reported Amazon Music acquired the rights to broadcast audio of Bundesliga and 2nd Bundesliga games online. The streams will be available to Amazon Prime members in Germany "at no extra charge." In addition, Amazon will hold the radio rights for German teams involved in Champions League and Europa League matches, and the audio rights to the German FA (DFB) Cup, which are available to subscribers of Amazon Music Unlimited, "which carries a further subscription cost" (SOCCEREX, 9/13).
