TNF has been a staple of the NFL schedule for as long as we can remember. Last year for Thursday Night games, the NFL opened up a new way to watch.
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Members of Amazon Prime could stream all the Thursday Night games in the 2020 NFL season. The NFL finalized their media rights in 2021 for the foreseeable future, worth about $100 billion in contracts.
One of these included reupping with Amazon, as Amazon agreed to pay the NFL $1 billion from from 2023 to 2033 for exclusive rights to TNF games. Amazon Prime is the only digital streaming service the NFL partnered with that holds this kind of exclusivity.
As a part of their streaming service, Amazon Prime includes a number of ways you can watch TNF games including picking your commentators.
Amazon Prime Says Announcerless Option Could Be Available For TNF Games
With Amazon being a private entity, they have the ability to broadcast their games however they feel like. To add on to the uniqueness aspect of this and draw more viewers, Amazon is attempting to redefine how people can watch sports.
Of course, Amazon’s long term goal is to make it into the Sports market for good, and hosting TNF games is a great start for them. The senior Vice President of Amazon Prime Video, Mike Hopkins, had the following to say:
“NFL games are the most watched live programming in the United States, and this unprecedented Thursday Night Footballpackage gives tens of millions of new and existing Prime members exclusive access to must-watch live football on Prime Video”
Additionally, Amazon could also become the broadcaster for an NFL Wild Card game if they reach a certain amount of viewership. So, how will they attempt to pry viewers away from cable options and onto their site? Well, for one, they’re building their own play-by-play and commentary team, but they’re also offering an “announcerless” option.
The NFL has only once broadcasted a game without announcers back in 1980 when the Jets beat the Dolphins on NBC. It’s an interesting option for sure, but it shows how Amazon is attempting to diversify by offering several perspectives on the game.
Commentary could also be local or gambling based, depending on what you’re into. Long story short, you could have a lot of different options when watching with Amazon Prime.
How To Watch TNF (Thursday Night Football) Games on Amazon Prime?
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you simply have to log into your account from whichever device you normally use Amazon Prime with.
Additionally, you can watch the games on TV if you own a firestick or have Prime set up on a TV. Amazon Prime also offers a “Scout’s Feed” with several analysts. You can choose how you want to watch the game. That’s the point Amazon is trying to drive home with their new approach to broadcasting games.
How many people will switch over to Prime now? It’s hard to say, but it could be a lot. Many people are choosing to go cableless and Prime Video is one of the biggest streaming platforms.
