Amazon took center stage in the sports universe Thursday as the tech giant streamed its first exclusive NFL game — and for the most part, it passed the test. The game streamed without any major hiccups or outages. Some fans reported glitches and poor sound quality, but Amazon’s streaming technology seemed to hold up overall, a baseline requirement for any live sports game being aired on the internet. Amazon’s high-profile NFL deal — which will cost a reported $11 billion over the next 11 years — is part of the company’s bid to grow its content library, bolster its advertising arm,… Read More
Amazon has officially announced that veteran sports play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit will be the broadcast duo for “Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video. Both Michaels and Herbstreit had previously been reported as Amazon’s choices when “TNF” kicks off this fall on Sept. 15. Amazon will stream games exclusively on Prime after signing an 11-year deal last year with the NFL in the league’s first all-digital pact with a media partner. Michaels is a longtime play-by-play broadcaster, with 36 years calling NFL games in prime time, including most recently on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” In… Read More
Al Michaels, the longtime NFL play-by-play broadcaster, is Amazon’s pick to call “Thursday Night Football” games streaming on Prime Video this season, according to the New York Post. Michaels will join ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit in the booth — another hire by the tech giant, reported earlier this month. Michaels, 77, had been calling “Sunday Night Football” games for NBC and just did his 11th Super Bowl for the network last month. The move to Amazon comes after Joe Buck and Troy Aikman jumped from Fox over to ESPN to handle “Monday Night Football.” Buck signed a 5-year,… Read More
Kirk Herbstreit, a college football analyst with ESPN, is reportedly Amazon’s choice to provide color commentary for “Thursday Night Football” when those games stream exclusively on Prime Video this fall. Peter King of NBC Sports reported the move. The New York Post previously made the connection. Herbstreit will reportedly continue his work with ESPN/ABC, where he’s known for calling college football games. Amazon first took over streaming rights for the NFL’s “TNF” in 2017, and last year signed an 11-year deal in the league’s first all-digital pact with a media partner.
The NFL returns to Amazon Prime Video this week with the “Thursday Night Football” matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. As Amazon gets set to kick off its fifth season of streaming the action, the company shared details about what to expect. This will be the final season of the NFL’s existing “tri-cast” model of broadcasting “TNF.” Next season, Prime Video will be the exclusive home for 15 games on Thursdays, thanks to a deal that Amazon reached with the NFL earlier this year. Prime coverage this season includes 12 games and a Wild Card playoff game… Read More
