Amazon and Duke University announced a multiyear agreement Thursday for Prime Video to exclusively present three Duke men’s basketball neutral-site nonconference games per season, marking the streamer’s first foray into college sports.
The inaugural schedule is headlined by a rematch of one of the most memorable moments from last month’s NCAA Tournament, as Prime Video’s college basketball run opens Nov. 25 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, when Duke faces UConn. The series continues Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden against national champion Michigan, and closes Feb. 20 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit against Gonzaga.
All three games will be produced by Prime Video, with broadcast teams and other coverage details to be announced.
“It’s exciting to bring this relationship with Duke University to life, and we’re looking forward to presenting this premium college basketball showcase to fans around the world next season and beyond,” said Prime Video’s head of sports partnerships, Charlie Neiman. “Duke basketball games transcend the schedule, and the creation of this all-new offering gives fans more of what we all want, marquee matchups featuring the most successful programs in the nation.”
Duke AD Nina King framed the deal as complementary to the program’s existing ACC relationship with ESPN. And in exchange for the flexibility to participate in the Prime Video series, Duke has committed to participating in additional ESPN-owned neutral-site events during the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.
“In addition to our outstanding partnership with ESPN, we are excited to work with Prime Video on this groundbreaking initiative,” King said. “As Prime Video’s first college sports partner, this collaboration not only expands the global reach of Duke men’s basketball but also creates meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes in a way that reflects innovation and excellence.”
Prime Video has built out an increasingly serious live sports portfolio over the past several years, holding exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football through 2033 and adding the NBA and WNBA globally, the Masters, NASCAR, and a growing list of international soccer properties.
The one thing it didn’t have was college sports, and with college basketball and football still among the most-watched programming in the country, that space has largely belonged to ESPN and traditional linear networks.
Now, Prime Video has a piece of it.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.