Amazon’s ‘TNF’ Debut Tops Thursday TV Shows

The NFL already dominates TV — and it looks like streaming is next.

Based on its own first-party measurements and Nielsen, Amazon Prime Video announced that its first stream of “Thursday Night Football” averaged 15.3 million viewers.

Nielsen reported that the online giant’s stream of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers averaged 13 million viewers, but either way, the NFL and Amazon started their exclusive 11-year deal — worth $1 billion a year — with a splash.

Amazon’s live stream generated more viewers than any other show on broadcast or cable TV Thursday night.

• Amazon says “TNF” drew a 4.25 rating among adults in the 18-34 age group, tops for the week in that coveted demographic — and 18% higher than any NFL game this season.
• The average viewer age was lowered to 47 from 54 compared to last year’s tri-cast on Fox, NFL Network, and Amazon.
• It was the most-watched program of the night on broadcast or cable, beating the No. 2 show, “Young Sheldon” on CBS, by 271%.
• Local telecasts in Los Angeles and Kansas City averaged 602,00 and 550,000 viewers, respectively.

Sign-Up Here, Please

Jay Marine, Amazon’s vice president in charge of Prime Video, wrote in an internal memo that its first “TNF” stream drew in a record number of Prime subscriptions.

The game brought in more signups in a three-hour period than any other day in company history, including Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and Prime Day, said Marine.

Last year, the NFL accounted for 48 of the 50 most-watched shows on linear TV.