• Loading stock data...
Monday, March 18, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

Amazon Pushes Up ‘TNF’ Debut

  • Amazon pushed up the start date of its exclusive 'Thursday Night Football' streaming package by one year to 2022.
  • Live sports is key to the company's pitch to advertisers.
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports/Design: Alex Brooks

Amazon Prime is getting next-year delivery on its “Thursday Night Football” package.

The tech and retail giant’s deal for the mid-week NFL broadcast was originally announced as starting in 2023 but will instead start in 2022 and run until 2033. 

One preseason game and 15 regular season games will air on Prime Video. Amazon is paying $1 billion a year for the exclusive streaming rights. The company can afford it: first-quarter 2021 revenue alone exploded to $108.5 billion, growing 44% year-over-year and smashing analyst expectations.

Amazon views the streaming rights as reason for people to keep paying for its Prime subscription, which has more than 200 million subscribers. For context, Netflix boasts 207 million global subscribers. 

Last year, Amazon shared “Thursday Night Football” broadcasting rights with Fox and the NFL Network. Fox will no longer air it after this season. 

Sports are a key part of Amazon’s pitch to advertisers

  • The company has sought out the largest global audiences, with broadcasting deals for the New York Yankees, the Premier and Champions Leagues, and rumored negotiations for cricket’s Indian Premier League.
  • The new “Thursday Night Football” announcement came on the same day as Amazon’s first-ever presentation at the NewFronts digital content and advertising marketplace.

Amazon has sought to differentiate its broadcasts through fan-led customizations, like allowing viewers to choose between stats-focused, scouting-based, or local commentators. The company’s “X-Ray” technology also allows fans to see stats and other information on the screen at will.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Under Armour Turns to Its Founder As Industry Turbulence Continues

The embattled sports apparel and footwear company brings back its founder.

Chiefs’ President Threatens Team Could Leave Kansas City If Voters Don’t Give It Money

The Hunt family’s cheapness continues to show after Super Bowl title.

Not So Fast: The List of Opponents to Bears’ Stadium Plan Is Growing

The NFL team sees immediate pushback from preservation groups, spurned suitors, and lawmakers.

Patrick Mahomes Restructures Contract (Again) for Chiefs’ Cap Relief

Mahomes borrows an idea from Tom Brady to keep the Chiefs competitive.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

The Leak That Changed Selection Sunday

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

‘Everybody Was Under Suspicion’: The Day Selection Sunday Was Scooped

In 2016, the ‘Selection Show’ backfired when the bracket was leaked anonymously.
Sep 3, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Orlando Pride forward Ally Watt (11) and Orlando Pride forward Julie Doyle (20) enter the stadium before the game against OL Reign at Lumen Field.
March 16, 2024

So Long, White Shorts: Here’s Why the NWSL’s Uniform Pivot Matters

There’s finally a growing trend to adapt women’s sports to women’s bodies.
exclusive
March 11, 2024

WWE Prez Nick Khan, COO Brad Blum Revealed As Key Figures in Vince McMahon Sex-Trafficking Suit

The two men are described in the suit as facilitating and covering up exploitation.
March 10, 2024

For the ‘Spulu’ Super-Streamer: Lots of Questions, No Good Answers

Big partners, bigger promises, and an unclear operation.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers
Nike
Multiple - USA Careers
EA
Multiple - USA Careers
Mar 10, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Indycar driver Josef Newgarden (middle) celebrates winning the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Indycar driver Patricio O'Ward (left) celebrates winning second and Indycar driver Scott McLaughlin (right) celebrates winning third.

With NBC Deal Expiring, IndyCar Nearing New Media-Rights Deal

IndyCar is in the last season of a three-year rights deal with NBC.
Oct 14, 2022; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers small forward LeBron James (6) smiles towards fans from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center.
March 18, 2024

How LeBron James and JJ Redick Decided to Launch a Podcast

‘Mind the Game’ will focus on the X’s and O’s of basketball.
Jul 12, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro arrives on the red carpet before the 2023 ESPYS at the Dolby Theatre.
March 18, 2024

Disney Succession Talk Rises Amid Shareholder Battles, ESPN Changes

Public attention rises on who will lead the company after Bob Iger.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
Painted murals of Sports Illustrated covers inside the new University of Tennessee-themed Graduate Hotel located at 1706 Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville on Friday, August 7, 2020. Kns Graduatehotel Bp
March 18, 2024

New ‘Sports Illustrated’ Publisher Carries Big Opportunities, Bigger Expectations

Minute Media has generated big traffic, but ‘SI’ represents something else entirely.
March 18, 2024

‘Sports Illustrated’ Will Continue to Publish

The famed publication has a new licensing deal with Minute Media, which begins immediately.
March 15, 2024

Would Stephen A. Smith Make It On Late Night TV?

Smith tells ‘FOS’ he’s interested in succeeding Jimmy Kimmel, who has suggested his own clock is winding down at ABC.
March 15, 2024

The NWSL Is Ready to Cash in on New Media Exposure

ESPN, CBS, Amazon, and Scripps Sports will air matches this season.