Friday, September 18, 2026

Amazon Averaging Nearly 15M Viewers for ‘Thursday Night Football’

Amazon did not set another viewership record for last week’s thriller between the Rams and Seahawks, but it did extend what has been a banner season for the streamer.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) runs against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at Lumen Field.
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

A candidate for the unofficial National Football League game of the season delivered another major audience for Amazon.

The streaming giant said Monday that it averaged 15.36 million viewers for its Thursday Night Football coverage of the Dec. 18 game between the Rams and Seahawks. The clash, won by Seattle 38–37 in overtime, more than lived up to the extensive pregame hype, and positioned the Seahawks as the current top seed in the NFC playoff race. The viewership beat the comparable game from the 2024 season by 39%. 

The audience figure, however, did not match the 19.4 million that Amazon averaged for a Dec. 4 TNF game between the Cowboys and Lions, setting a regular-season record for the four years that the Thursday NFL games have exclusively been on Prime Video. 

For the season, though, Amazon is averaging 14.96 million viewers for TNF, up 13% from last year, and up 26% from 2023. The hefty viewership for the Rams-Seahawks game also extended a banner season for the company that included a significant audience bump on Black Friday. That full-season average is also greater than any other provider or combination of providers in the two-decade history of TNF.

In addition to the on-field drama, the Rams-Seahawks game also included Los Angeles receiver Puka Nacua continuing his criticism of the referees. He received a $25,000 fine for those comments. 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 10, 2026; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during practice at Marvel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

McVay’s Australia Gripe Highlights NFL’s Business-Football Divide

The Rams coach is looking to forget the team’s struggles in Australia.
Hot & Social/Mets

Sports Teams Are Playing a New Role: Matchmaker

The latest promotion at the stadium? Love.
Tigers Head Coach Lane Kiffin, LSU Tigers take on the LA Tech Bulldogs. September 12, 2026; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium.

How Lane Kiffin Built College Football’s Most Anticipated Game

Kiffin’s return to Oxford has been nearly 10 months in the making.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NFL Ratings Dip, Steve Belichick Resigns, Knicks Ticket Refunds

0:00

Featured Today

Exclusive

Vicious Infighting Is Jeopardizing the Future of Women’s Baseball

The WPBL’s own CEO admits there’s a “power struggle.”
September 17, 2026

Fantasy Football Drafts Are Turning Into Full-Blown Vacations

Leagues are forgoing solo drafts and replacing them with in-person getaways.
Oct 4, 2025; Tempe, AZ, USA; General action during the first period of the game between the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mullett Arena
September 10, 2026

How Military-Style Workouts in College Sports Get Dangerous

For elite athletes, high-intensity training can be “very appealing.”
September 6, 2026

Is Carolyn Tisch Blodgett the Future Face of Giants Ownership?

Amid changes at top of Giants ownership, eyes are on Tisch Blodgett.
September 4, 2026

Wild Transfer Window Shows How Premier League Towers Over Soccer

Spending in England vastly outstripped the rest of Europe.
Hawkeye and Oregon fans gather for FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff Nov. 8, 2025 in front of the Old Capitol Building on the University of Iowa Campus in Iowa City, Iowa.

College Football’s London Debut Brings Big Opportunity for Fox

Kansas and Arizona State are facing off at Wembley Stadium.
Sep 11, 2026; Melbourne, AUS; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) rushes the ball in the second half against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
September 17, 2026

NFL Week 1 Ratings Fall 13% Despite New Broadcast Schedule

The league saw a surprisingly sharp drop in viewership.
Brian Windhorst ESPN
September 17, 2026

Brian Windhorst Discusses Global Podcast Tour, LeBron’s Fanatics Deal

Windhorst also discussed the Clippers’ punishment and LeBron’s potential commute.
Sponsored

Drew Weatherford’s Bet on the Youth Sports Economy

Drew Weatherford discusses investing across the youth, college and professional levels.
Mike Tomlin NBC Sports
Opinion
September 17, 2026

Sports Media Winners and Losers From the Start of Football Season

There were plenty of sports media happenings across college and the NFL.
Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage (center) visits Ryan Fitzpatrick (left) and Andrew Whitworth on the Prime Thursday Night Football set at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
September 16, 2026

Why Fitzpatrick and Whitworth Won’t Trade Studio for the Booth

The Prime Video analysts also weighed in on the Rams’ Week 1 loss.
Jun 24, 2024; Eugene, OR, USA; NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico during the US Olympic Team Trials at Hayward Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
September 16, 2026

Tirico Addresses Michael Jordan’s NBC Exit, Hopeful He’ll Return

Jordan served as a “special contributor” for NBC last season.
Dec 25, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; General view of the Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football logo at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 16, 2026

Amazon’s Bills-Lions Game Shows Established NFL Presence

The streamer will begin the season with the new Highmark Stadium opening.