Amazon Breaches TV’s Last Stronghold With $13 Billion Bet on NFL

When the National Football League’s regular season kicks off Thursday, millions of fans will settle into their easy chairs to watch America’s biggest, richest sport. But a different, multibillion dollar match will unfold a week later.

Starting Sept. 15, viewers who want to watch “Thursday Night Football” will have to log in to Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Video streaming service. The contest between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs is the first regular-season game in an 11-year, $13 billion deal that makes Amazon the exclusive home of “Thursday Night Football.”

It’s the first time a streaming service has obtained exclusive, season-long ...