In 2022, Amazon Prime Video became part of the NFL‘s TV deal, earning exclusive rights to stream Thursday Night Football games as well as an annual Black Friday game.
Amazon became the first streamer to broadcast NFL games, and they will continue airing games through the 2033 NFL season.
What can viewers expect during the 2024 season? Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit are back in the booth, and Amazon Prime Video’s alternate broadcast has some incredible AI-powered features that should excite fans.
What Is Prime Vision With Next Gen Stats?
This alternate broadcast of the game is meant to give diehard fans a data-driven experience and take them deeper into the action. The Prime Vision broadcast is able to provide real-time data and insights thanks to sensors all over the stadium and in every player’s shoulder pads.
“We’re collecting more than 300 million data points per season,” said Julie Souza, head of Sports, Global Professional Services at AWS. “This level of data is powering our machine learning models to gain new insights from every game. That helps us understand the sport better, and that’s what we’re sharing with the viewers.”
This stream features the broadcast’s traditional audio coupled with on-screen graphic overlays and location, speed, and acceleration data for each player.
What Is Available on the Alternate Broadcast?
One of Amazon Prime Video’s coolest features is Prime Targets, which “uses a machine learning model to highlight which receivers have created separation from defenders within their routes, and are in position to convert a first down” in real time, per Amazon.
Should a team go for it on fourth down? The Fourth-Down Decision Guide “uses machine learning to not only calculate the likelihood of success for both options, but also how the decision will affect the team’s game-winning probability.”
Just as the broadcast uses AI to highlight receivers who are getting open, they also have Defensive Alerts to do the same for pass rushers. This feature “tracks the movements of defensive players before the snap, reads their acceleration, and identifies ‘players of interest’ that are likely to rush the quarterback.” If a player is identified as a potential blitzer, a red circle appears around them.
Amazon Prime Video also has Pressure Probability, which “captures the pressure on a quarterback and how it evolves after the snap.”
Most broadcasts display a line on the field to indicate how close a team needs to get for a field goal attempt. Amazon Prime Video shows multiple lines with points based on the date. This provides more context than the one line that shows where a kicker can make it from.
These features are all optional, but they provide a ton of insight and data for diehard fans.
What Options Are Available if You Miss the Opening Kickoff?
Amazon Prime Video allows you to watch the game from the beginning, even if the game is in the fourth quarter.
There are also other options to show you what has happened.
FREE: Subscribe to PFN’s NFL Newsletter
Their Key Plays feature allows viewers to watch all pivotal plays up to that point. Also, there’s a Rapid Recap feature that uses AI to put together up to 13 highlights to catch up on what you missed. This only lasts two minutes and is something you can do during a commercial break.
X-Ray allows you to see live stats as the game happens, with a panel appearing on the right side with traditional and Next Gen stats. This provides a deep dive into how the game is being played. For example, it might show viewers how many seconds both quarterbacks have spent on average in the pocket that evening.
What Does Amazon Have in Store for Year 3?
Powered by its sister company Amazon Web Services, Amazon will lean into its technology and AI capabilities to give viewers a more informed football experience.
Per Front Office Sports, the new features for TNF will include:
- An expansion of its previously introduced defensive alerts feature, highlighting likely blitzing players, from its “Prime Vision” alternate broadcast to the main feed. This will be supplemented on the alternate feed with another similar feature showcasing defensive players likely to disrupt plays.
- A defensive vulnerability feature identifies areas of the field where teams are susceptible to offensive attack.
- A coverage ID element shows viewers in real time what type of defensive scheme, such as zone or man-to-man, teams are using on a play.
Enhancements will debut as early as the Week 2 contest between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills in 2024.