LONDON — A generation ago, Sky, then an upstart satellite broadcaster, outbid rivals for the rights to televise the Premier League. The deal revolutionized the fortunes of the TV service, and helped turn the British soccer league into one of the world’s most watched — and lucrative — in sports.

Another transformation now appears to be underway. Amazon, which is increasingly pushing beyond its e-commerce origins, won rights on Thursday to broadcast Premier League games in Britain for the first time.

Amazon’s deal highlights the seismic shifts happening in sports and television entertainment, as deep-pocketed digital outlets compete with traditional broadcasters like NBC, Disney and, in Europe, Sky. The fierce battle between Silicon Valley companies and historically dominant studios and broadcasters has extended from developing new scripted shows to broadcasting live sports.

The matches that Amazon will broadcast, available to its Prime members in Britain, are relatively minor. It will showcase 20, scheduled at times when there tends to be lower viewership than normal. But Amazon’s victory was in how it can deliver the games: While digital companies have typically bought only the digital streaming rights to sporting events, Amazon’s deal includes the exclusive rights for the matches it shows.