In June of last year, Amazon won the rights to show 20 English Premier League games on their Prime platform, and the 3-year deal was reported as being worth £90million.
For those of us already subscribed to the full home shopping and TV deal this was a rare thing, a consumer win. Sure, we were still paying for these games, but we weren’t paying any extra for them. Huzzah.
Last night’s broadcast started extremely well.
Amazon did that which I had predicted and hired virtually every TV football name one might have already been familiar with for the launch.
After all, one of the reasons so many people shop with Amazon online is because if you want an item, they normally offer 100 different versions of it.
Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Peter Crouch, Roberto Martinez, Lee Dixon, Harry Redknapp, Jermaine Jenas, Alex Scott, Peter Schmeichel and Michael Owen.
Gabby Logan, Jim Rosenthal, Steve Bower, Dion Dublin, Robbie Savage, Tim Sherwood, Joe Cole and Dermot Gallagher were all on hand in the studio.
The voices of Clive Tyldesley, Jon Champion, Connor McNamara, Guy Mowbray and Ian Darke provided the running commentaries.
There were two problems however that critically undermined the entire deal.
The picture quality on my 4K television which was enjoying rock solid broadband was substandard.
Streaming live football on Amazon Prime in your hotel room is absolutely fine….until you get the buffering circle of death when Marcus Rashford is about to start his penalty run up 🤬🤬🤬 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/2IScclbIzF
— Jon Tait 🎓 (@TeamTait) December 4, 2019
I’d be better off watching it on Ceefax if the last couple of nights has been the quality. pic.twitter.com/VNNcCmDrtk
— Craig Shitpeas (@CraigShitpeas) December 4, 2019
Watching the football on amazon prime is the equivalent of playing PES
— Jack🇳🇴 (@SuchJackSuch) December 4, 2019
Not sure this Amazon streaming football is going to work. It's just too weird watching a match 'live' but getting message alerts about goals a minute before they happen.
— Kevin Furlong (@FurlyWurly) December 4, 2019
Some fans couldn’t get the Amazon stream to work at all.
#amazon That feeling when you feel like you are watching football on UKGold
— Tim McDuell (@Vale1876) December 4, 2019
Picture quality on Amazon Prime football is variable for us, despite us having fast fibre broadband. And we’re over a minute behind. Possibly the TV app isn’t as good as a new dedicated stick? Still makes more sense to me for live stuff to be broadcast on satellite.
— Paul Gregory (@PaulGregory) December 4, 2019
Worse yet, the game wasn’t actually live. To clarify, there was a delay. For some it was up to 30 seconds, for others, it was significantly longer. You don’t get much more damning evidence, than another Amazon product proving the case.
My phone – Goal! 20secs later Amazon Prime Football – Goal!
— Greg Oldfield 👉Vote Labour December 12 (@gregoldfield) December 4, 2019
Why amazon prime football 30 second behind on all matches
— nick swain (@nickswain2) December 4, 2019
This Amazon Prime football is good but a whole minute behind. If you put a bet on you know what’s happening before you see it. Needs sorting out
— Brad (@Bradd_6) December 4, 2019
Based on your debut games this evening I would contest your definition of “live”. Delayed broadcast more accurate.
— HedgeUpGreen (@HedgeUpGreen) December 3, 2019
This Amazon football thing is toss
— BH (@B3nH15) December 4, 2019
Not sure this Amazon streaming football is going to work. It's just too weird watching a match 'live' but getting message alerts about goals a minute before they happen.
— Kevin Furlong (@FurlyWurly) December 4, 2019
@amazon football coverage clearly not "live" #cheated #buffering #delayed
— Nick Hulyer (@nick_hulyer) December 4, 2019
I got in touch with Amazon last night, and they attempted to say that their poor quality service was the industry standard.
The fundamental problem Amazon have, is that in the 21st century we are surrounded by devices beeping genuinely live information, plus, many of us are in contact with friend online, exchanging reactions to games – again – in real time.
Watching a game with constant spoilers is something nobody in their right mind would enjoy.
Amazon have potentially business crippling problem here, and one that will not solve itself.
I have to put up with DAZN here in Canada which often gets stuck buffering mid-match to achieve intermittent, blurry ‘HD’. Was great when I first emigrated as TSN had the rights to nearly all the games on standard cable. Football Shangri-la.
Now these inferior streaming services are slowly but surely partitioning everything off behind licensed paywalls.
Got your email DD, just waiting for my manflu to naff off!
Amazon debut an unmitigated disaster – Sadly just like our team’s performance last night!!