Amazon is launching new interactive video features for its Thursday Night Football stream on Twitch and Prime Video. This year the technology giant will stream 11 TNF games, starting with the Minnesota Vikings v. Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 27.
Shortly after Thursday’s game, Amazon-owned Twitch will debut a computer screen digital overlay that enables fans to better control their experience by pointing-and-clicking on prompts. Dubbed “extensions,” this will enable viewers to see stats such as NFL standings and Team Stat Pages without interrupting the game video.
Viewers will also be able to make game and quarter play guesses, with a leaderboard tracking how well they performed against others.
The platform will enable co-streaming again this year for the Twitch TNF stream, where popular Twitch streamers—often esports personalities—will be able to add their own commentary, thereby expanding the reach of football to new online communities. The co-streaming initiative will begin this Thursday with video game personality GoldGlove.
Fans can also respond to the TNF stream with Twitch emotes. Twitch has developed emotes specifically for the NFL, including every team logo plus others that celebrate touchdowns, flags, catches, and runs.
Separately from Twitch and exclusively on Prime Video, Amazon is launching a feature called X-Ray that feeds fans more detailed information about the game. Viewers will be able to use a “game leaders” and “team stats” function to keep track of live game stats, such as top players’ rushing, passing, and receiving.
Also on Prime Video, viewers will be able to use a “play history tab” to access a history of play statistics that occurred earlier in the game, including how many yards a team gained. A “teams” tab will provide viewers with more information about each franchise, such as team history, facts about any player, and the roster.
Amazon will also offer fans access to alternate commentary audio as it works to broaden the appeal of football. This will include a Spanish-language commentary team, a U.K.-based team aimed at international audiences, and the first all-female NFL duo.
SportTechie Takeaway
Through Twitch and Prime Video, Amazon is hoping to usher in a new era of interactivity for the game-watching experience that meshes the primary and second-screen experiences. Before sporting events were regularly accessible on the internet, fans would use second screens, such as their smartphones or tablets, to access real-time stats, highlights, and social media reactions to live events. Now, Amazon is hoping to combine those experiences into one by allowing fans to not only watch sports live on its platform, but also control their experience with real-time stats and digital overlays.