Amazon Prime Video has secured its first significant soccer rights tie-up in the Japanese market. The streaming service will broadcast South American national team soccer's Copa America games in Japan over June and July.
Prime Video Japan, through this partnership, will exclusively cover all group-stage games featuring football powerhouses Argentina and Brazil at this year's tournament. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 20 to July 14 in the US. Additionally, all knockout matches from the 16-team tournament will be shown live on the platform.
This deal marks a significant addition to Prime Video's sports rights portfolio in Japan. Until now, it has only covered boxing and baseball live sports events for its Japanese audience.
Accessible viewing for Prime Members
The last Copa America held in Brazil was covered by Abema TV for viewership in Japan. However, media rights for this year’s edition are being distributed by Japanese heavyweight Dentsu under a deal that also includes coverage of the 2028 Copa America.
Japanese members of Amazon Prime Video can enjoy access to all these thrilling Copa America matches at no additional cost. In total, six group stage games involving Argentina and Brazil will be shown along with eight knockout games leading up to the final match on July 14 (the morning of July 15 for a Japanese audience).
Due to time differences between countries, all games covered by Prime Video will take place mid-morning in Japan while being aired during primetime hours in the US.
This Copa America will be special
This year’s quadrennial Copa America features not only ten South American teams but also six teams from North and Central America including Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the United States itself.
In contrast with Amazon's exclusive broadcasting rights within Japan; Fox Sports alongside TelevisaUnivision (Spanish-language) will be showcasing the competition in the US.
This move by Amazon Prime Video represents a significant step forward in expanding its sports coverage and providing more diverse content to its subscribers. It also offers an exciting opportunity for Japanese football fans to enjoy one of the most prestigious tournaments in international football.
