Duke has landed a groundbreaking deal with Amazon that will place 3 nonconference games exclusively on Prime Video, the company’s streaming arm, next season.
The Blue Devils will face national runner-up UConn in Las Vegas on Nov. 25, defending champion Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 21, and Gonzaga on Feb. 20 in Detroit. The meeting with the Huskies will mark a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight, which ended in dramatic fashion.
According to a report from ESPN, the multi-year agreement also includes “extensive” NIL opportunities for Duke athletics and is part of a broader retail partnership.
Duke worked in tandem with the ACC and ESPN — the ACC’s primary media rights partner — on future games in exchange for entering into the deal with Amazon. In a release, Duke said it committed to participate in “select additional ESPN-owned and operated men’s basketball neutral-site events across the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons.”
The move is a significant one. It marks Amazon’s initial foray into college basketball and expands Prime Video’s catalogue beyond professional football and basketball. It also represents a first-of-its-kind commercial deal between a streamer and an individual school.
“In addition to our outstanding partnership with ESPN, we are excited to work with Prime Video on this groundbreaking initiative,” Duke athletic director Nina King said in a statement. “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.”
Duke went 35-3 last season, winning both the ACC’s regular-season and tournament crowns. UConn ended the Blue Devils’ season in the Elite Eight, 73-72. Duke is also scheduled to play Michigan State in Chicago in early November.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
