NFL on Prime Video

Last updated

NFL on Prime Video
NFL on Amazon Prime Video logo.jpeg
Genre NFL football telecasts
Presented by Al Michaels
Kirk Herbstreit
Kaylee Hartung
Terry McAulay
Charissa Thompson
Tony Gonzalez
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Andrew Whitworth
Richard Sherman
Marshawn Lynch
Taylor Rooks
Albert Breer
Sam Schwartzstein
Opening theme“Prime Video Sports Theme”
Composer Pinar Toprak
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons16
No. of episodes16 per season (plus 1 preseason game)
Production
Production locations Various NFL stadiums
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time180 minutes or until game ends (inc. adverts)
Production companies National Football League
Prime Video Originals
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
Release2017 (2017) –
present

NFL on Prime Video is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games on the subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming and rental service Amazon Prime Video and on sister service Twitch as part of Prime Video Sports. Amazon currently holds exclusive streaming rights for Thursday Night Football.

Contents

Along with Prime Video, the games are also simulcast for free on Prime Video's Twitch channel and broadcast on local over-the-air networks in the markets of the playing teams. [1] [2] [3]

Overview

Thursday Night Football

The Chargers and Chiefs playing in the first Thursday Night Football game to exclusively broadcast nationally on Prime Video on September 15, 2022. Chargers at Chiefs - September 15, 2022 - Thursday Night Football on Prime Video.jpg
The Chargers and Chiefs playing in the first Thursday Night Football game to exclusively broadcast nationally on Prime Video on September 15, 2022.

On April 4, 2017, it was announced that Amazon had acquired non-exclusive streaming rights to the 10 broadcast television games for the 2017 season over their Amazon Prime Video service, under a deal valued at $50 million, a five-fold increase over the $10 million paid by Twitter. The streams were exclusive to paid Prime subscribers. [4] [5] [6] Amazon planned several special features for its inaugural game, including broadcasting alternate feeds with Spanish, Portuguese, and a secondary English broadcast featuring soccer commentators Ross Dyer and Tommy Smyth (intended for international viewers unfamiliar with the rules and terminology of American football), and a pre-show hosted by Tiki Barber and Curtis Stone. [7] [8] [9] [10]

Amazon renewed its digital rights for the 2018 and 2019 seasons; in contrast to 2017 in which the games required a Prime subscription, for 2018 and 2019, Amazon also carried game coverage for free on its live streaming platform Twitch. [11] Alongside the main Fox feed, British English, and Spanish options, the Amazon Prime streams offered an alternate commentary feed featuring ESPN anchor Hannah Storm and NFL Network chief correspondent Andrea Kremer — the first all-female commentary team in NFL history. [12] The Twitch streams offer access to the service's standard chat room (along with special football-themed emotes), an interactive extension, and co-streams featuring prominent personalities, while streams on Amazon Fire devices offer integration with the X-Ray feature to access statistics and other content. [13]

On April 29, 2020, Amazon renewed its digital rights through the 2022 season, maintaining the 11 TNF simulcasts and digital content. [14] For its simulcasts, Amazon replaced the British feed with a new "Scout's Feed" with extended analysis by Bucky Brooks and Daniel Jeremiah, and NFL Next Live on Twitch (with viewer interactivity). [15] For the 2020 season, Prime Video offered multiple announcer options; NFL Next on Prime Video, live and on-demand on Tuesday nights, hosted by Chris Long, Kay Adams, Andrew Hawkins, and James Koh; X-Ray, offering real-time access to live statistics and insights; and new shows on Twitch, including The NFL Comments Box and The NFL Machine. [16]

In March 2021, Amazon acquired rights to become the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football initially starting with the 2023 season and running through 2033, paying approximately $1 billion per year to become the first streaming service to exclusively carry a package of NFL games. [17] Regular season games on Thursday nights will increase from 12 to 15 per year, and the package will also include one preseason game per year. [18] Amazon will now be producing its own football game broadcasts, after previously picking up feeds from other networks. [19] The deal also includes pre-game, halftime, and post-game shows, plus in-game highlights and original NFL programming. [20] Because Prime Video is a subscription streaming service, the NFL will require Amazon to have its games syndicated on over-the-air television stations in the local markets of the competing teams. For example, if a Patriots-Steelers game airs on TNF, it needs to air on one TV station in Pittsburgh, and on one TV station in Boston. (The 2023 game between both aforementioned teams aired on WPXI in Pittsburgh, and on WFXT in Boston.) [21] A couple months later, it was announced that Prime Video would take over TNF a year earlier than originally announced in 2022, making the deal 11 years. It should be noted, however, that the annual NFL Kickoff Game and the annual primetime game on Thanksgiving night (both of which take place on Thursday nights) aren't part of the TNF package, and therefore, air nationally on NBC instead.

Other regular season games

On April 29, 2020, as part of Amazon's renewal of its digital rights through the 2022 season, Amazon acquired the exclusive international rights to one late-season game produced by CBS), it would be the first game to only be nationally available on a streaming platform. [14] Prime Video, along with Twitch, Verizon, the NFL app, and the two teams' local stations, aired this game on December 26, 2020, featuring the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. It averaged 4.8 million viewers. [22] The Amazon exclusive game did not return for the 2021 season.

Beginning with the 2023 season, Prime Video has broadcast an NFL game on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Like with the traditional TNF games, the Black Friday game also needs to air on local television stations in both teams' media markets. (The 2023 Black Friday game aired on WNYW in New York City, and on WFOR-TV in Miami.) [23] [24]

Playoff programming

In October 2020, Amazon acquired the rights to stream its first NFL playoff game on Prime Video as part of its digital rights to the league: a simulcast of one of CBS's NFC Wild Card games. [25] This game eventually was the one on January 10, 2021, between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints. The game was also available on Nickelodeon. [26]

On January 16, 2022, Amazon streamed its second NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. It was also a simulcast of a CBS/Nickelodeon broadcast. [27]

In the 2024–25 NFL playoffs, Amazon will exclusively air one Wild Card playoff game, which turned out to be a match-up between rivals, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. [28] [29]

Other programming

The 2020 NFL Holiday Blitz on Prime Video featured a week-long slate of original content with celebrities and athletes including Action Bronson, Quavo, Cari Champion, Victor Cruz and Chad Johnson. [30]

Results

YearWeek/RoundDateAway teamFinal ScoreHost TeamStadiumSimulcastGame Notes
2020 16December 26 49ers
20–12
 Cardinals State Farm Stadium
KNTV (San Francisco)
KSAZ-TV (Phoenix)
Exclusive telecast produced by CBS
2021 Wildcard playoffJanuary 10 Bears
9–21
 Saints Mercedes-Benz Superdome National CBSSimulcast of CBS coverage
Alternate presentation on Nickelodeon
2022 January 16 49ers
23–17
 Cowboys AT&T Stadium

Game announcers

Current announcers

Former announcers

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "NFL completes long-term media distribution agreements through 2033 season". NFL.com. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  2. ↑ U.S, Jason Dachman, Editorial Director (September 15, 2022). "Thursday Night Football Kickoff: Inside Amazon Prime Video's New State-of-the-Art IP Prime One Truck From Game Creek Video". Sports Video Group. Retrieved January 31, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ↑ Miller, Mark (September 15, 2022). "Amazon Primed For 'Thursday Night Football' Tour". TV News Check. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  4. ↑ Scott Soshnick (April 17, 2017). "Amazon's NFL Deal Includes $30 Million in Free Marketing". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Amazon will stream 'Thursday Night Football' in 2017. Here's what you need to know". SBNation. April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Amazon's NFL Deal Includes $30 Million in Free Marketing". Bloomberg. April 17, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  7. ↑ Levy, Nat (September 28, 2017). "Amazon's first NFL live stream overcomes early glitches and long weather delay". GeekWire. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Amazon's NFL stream of Green Bay-Chicago could draw diehards, boycotters and the curious". USA Today. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Amazon gives NFL global feel". Sports Business Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Amazon's NFL UK broadcast team is brutally honest about Bears bad performance". Awful Announcing. September 29, 2017. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ Spangler, Todd (April 26, 2018). "NFL Renews Amazon Streaming Deal for 'Thursday Night Football' for 2018-19 Seasons". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Amazon Prime hid Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer in NFL's first all-female broadcast". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ Spangler, Todd (September 27, 2018). "Amazon, Twitch Unveil Enhanced Features for NFL 'Thursday Night Football' Live-Streams". Variety. Retrieved November 19, 2018.
  14. 1 2 Spangler, Todd (April 29, 2020). "Amazon Renews NFL 'Thursday Night Football' Through 2022, Scores Exclusive Game per Season". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football adding scout feed, Twitch stream, new talent for 2020 NFL season". Awful Announcing. October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  16. ↑ Spangler, Todd (October 5, 2020). "Amazon Expands NFL 'Thursday Night Football' Content on Prime Video, Twitch". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  17. ↑ "NFL announces new broadcast deals running through 2033 season". NFL.com. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  18. ↑ Juneau, Jen (March 19, 2021). "Amazon Prime Video Strikes Deal with NFL to Exclusively Stream Thursday Night Football in 2023". People. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  19. ↑ Steinberg, Brian (March 18, 2021). "NFL Strikes New Rights Pacts: Fox Cedes Thursdays to Amazon, ABC Gains Super Bowl Slot". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  20. ↑ Cisneros, Juan (March 19, 2021). "Thursday Night Football moving to Amazon Prime Video in 2023". Fox4. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  21. ↑ "NFL completes long-term media distribution agreements through 2033 season". NFL.com. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  22. ↑ Thorne, Will (December 28, 2020). "First Streaming-Only NFL Game Scores Solid Numbers for Amazon". Variety. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  23. ↑ "NFL Black Friday game coming to Amazon in 2023". cnbc. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  24. ↑ Paulsen (March 9, 2023). "News: WNBA, Black Friday NFL, Van Gundy and more". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  25. ↑ Flint, Joe (October 14, 2020). "WSJ News Exclusive | Amazon Expands NFL Coverage With Playoff Game". The Wall Street Journal . ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  26. ↑ Hayes, Dade (October 14, 2020). "Amazon To Stream Its First NFL Playoff Game In January In Split With ViacomCBS". Deadline. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  27. ↑ Crupi, Anthony (October 4, 2021). "AAMAZON PREPS FOR SECOND NFL POSTSEASON APPEARANCE". Sportico. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
  28. ↑ Flint, Joe (February 9, 2024). "Amazon's Prime Video Gets Exclusive NFL Playoff Game Next Season". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  29. ↑ "Prime Video will stream its first-ever NFL playoff game this January". www.aboutamazon.com. December 19, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  30. ↑ Hayes, Dade (December 21, 2020). "Amazon Prime Video, Twitch Set NFL Coverage Plans In Christmas-Week Blitz Leading Up To Exclusive Game Stream". Deadline. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  31. ↑ "Report: Kaylee Hartung Leaving ABC to Become Amazon's Thursday Night Football Sideline Reporter". www.adweek.com. July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  32. ↑ McDaniel, Mike (June 13, 2022). "Report: Charissa Thompson Lands New NFL Broadcasting Job". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 13, 2022.
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