Amazon wants to pilfer Peyton and Eli for Thursday…

Getty Images

Amazon reportedly is preparing to spend plenty of money on sports. And it will take plenty of money to do one of the things they want to do.

Michael McCarthy of FrontOfficeSports.com reports that Amazon wants to take Peyton and Eli Manning from ESPN for a Thursday Night Football Manningcast.

The Mannings agreed to a three-season deal with ESPN, making them free agents in 2024. And with no franchise tag in sports media, they can go wherever they want for whatever they want whenever their current contract ends. (Amazon, in theory, could also buy out their remaining contract from ESPN.)

McCarthy speculates that ESPN will have an exclusive window to renew its deal with the Mannings. Absent such restrictions, the Mannings could in theory do a deal immediately that becomes effective after the 2023 season.

That could be the next wave when it comes to media deals fueled by gambling money or, in Amazon’s case, a desire not to build but to buy a major presence. Instead of waiting for the contract of a given property to expire, the next suitor could simply buy the rights now, with the deal become becoming effective later.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post recently reported that Amazon is in the early stages of developing studio programs focused on sports, with the goal of potentially having a full daily lineup.