Amazon’s Prime Video platform will broadcast the Australian Swimming Championships, in Adelaide next month, as part of a two-year deal with Swimming Australia. The company will use a roster of celebrity commentators to give a high profile to its continuing foray into the sports sector.

The deal with Swimming Australia is the first partnership Amazon has had in Australia for sports, other than sports documentaries.

The streaming giant has a patchwork of sportscasting in other territories – in India, for example it currently has a mixture women’s basketball and some cricket, having previously carried major tennis tournaments and English soccer. It finds itself in competition with incumbent free-TV channels, pay-TV operators for which live sports is a lifeblood, and a growing number of specialist sports streamers.

“Following the successful 2021 Australian Swimming broadcast, we’re excited to again partner with Swimming Australia to bring the 2022 Swimming Championships to sports fans worldwide exclusively on Prime Video at no extra cost to Prime Members,” said Hushidar Kharas, head of Prime Video Australia. The five-day meet will run May 18-22. “Swimming is part of Australia’s DNA, and after Australia’s gold medal rush at the Olympics last year, we look forward to delivering all the excitement and stories.”

The Prime Video commentary team is led by three-time Olympian and gold medalist Grant Hackett, Olympic gold medalist Giaan Rooney, triple Olympic medalist Nicole Livingstone and Paralympic gold medalist Annabelle Williams. Sports broadcaster and journalist Matt White will host the coverage. Veteran sports commentator Jon Harker will call the action.

The coverage will also include a 30-minute preview show, a halftime program, and a nightly wrap-up show, featuring special guests and interviews with current and past champions. Dual Olympian Meagen Nay and another veteran sports broadcaster, John Casey, will provide commentary for every heat session, with dual Olympic gold medalist Britt Elmslie serving as the pool deck announcer.

Prime members in Australia can stream hit TV shows, popular movies and Australian Amazon Original series including “The Test: A New Era for Australia’s Team,” “Making Their Mark,” “Head Above Water,” two seasons of “Luxe Listings Sydney,” “Back to the Rafters,” and the upcoming “Class of ’07,” “Deadloch,” “Five Blind Dates” and “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.”

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