Amazon Leans on Alexa and Football to Reverse 6-Month Slump

For the second time in as many months, Amazon is asking Alexa for help.

At a time when its stock has fallen 40% in six months to a two-year low, the world’s biggest online retailer is hoping that expanding its voice-activated family of devices will provide a jump to its faltering stock price.

In announcing a pair of upgrades to its internet-connected listening devices Thursday (May 12), Amazon is not only looking to grow its Alexa ecosystem but is counting on strong growth in the defensive healthcare sector as well as the macro tailwinds of an aging population to help turn things around at the mothership.

“With Alexa Together, [users] can get comfort knowing their loved ones can easily check in on them through the activity feed,” a company blog post stated of the dual enhancements, adding that its pending Remote Assist feature will soon be able to offer a hands-free urgent response should a loved one require emergency help.

Branded as Circle of Support, the first Alexa upgrade will allow up to 10 remote caregivers to assist and partake in the daily monitoring and communication with an aging or homebound family member or friend via text and other mobile updates and alerts.

The second emergency service tweak is being added under the Alexa Routines umbrella, a programmable feature that automates several daily tasks, such as turning on lights at a certain time or delivering the news and weather, that are now being targeted at the unique needs of the elderly, such as medication reminders.

The Whole House Trend

The latest Alexa upgrades follow in the footsteps of previous upgrades Amazon announced in March that aimed to expand the use of its connected devices on the whole house rather than only in the kitchen or den.

“As I was lying there on the floor, I ran through my options. My cellphone wasn’t within reach, and I wasn’t sure I could move to get it,” Amazon user “Penny” said in describing how the technology helped her during a recent fall in her home.

“Then I remembered Alexa. We have Echo devices all over the house,” she added, noting that the broadened use of the devices may have saved her life.

While the push to grow the Alexa ecosystem continues, Amazon is also moving ahead with plans to boost and build loyalty for its Prime subscription service but is touting the value that subscribers get via features such as Prime Video and its newly expanded coverage of the NFL’s Thursday night football games.

“Amazon’s Prime Video begins its undertaking as the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football for the 2022 NFL season,” the league announced this week. “As part of an 11-year agreement, Prime Video will be the first streaming service to air a season-long licensed national broadcast package from the NFL.”