Amazon-Duke TV Deal Is a First

Amazon is stepping into live college basketball with a new deal centered on Duke men's games at neutral sites. The two announced an enterprise partnership on Thursday that includes Prime Video carrying three high-profile nonconference games next season: against UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25, defending national champion Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, and Gonzaga in Detroit on Feb. 20. Beginning with the 2026-27 season, Prime Video will have exclusive rights each year to three Duke neutral-site nonconference games, ESPN reports. "Duke basketball games transcend the schedule," an Amazon statement said, per the AP.

The agreement represents Amazon's first move into live college sports, adding to its existing Thursday Night Football NFL package and its new long-term media rights deal with the NBA. Duke said the partnership will include substantial name, image, and likeness opportunities for its athletes and will be tied to a broader retail arrangement with Amazon to be detailed later. Players will be able to promote the games, and the retail side could create additional NIL avenues, per ESPN. Duke worked with the ACC and ESPN to adjust future scheduling in exchange for permission to play these neutral-site contests, including commitments to some ESPN-run events in the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons. Duke has won five NCAA championships.