This season for the first time, Thursday Night Football will be streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime. After reaching a record-setting deal in the offseason, the broadcast crew has been assembled, the pregame show is ready, the theme song has been put together, and now we get to see what Amazon can do. So, why is Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, and what led us to this point?

Thursday Night Football Leaves Fox

From 2018 to 2021, NFL fans became accustomed to watching Thursday Night Football on FOX. However, early last year, FOX announced that they would be opting out of the final year of its contract rights deal with the NFL. Of course, they decided to continue broadcasting NFL Sundays, including “America’s Game of the Week” every Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

According to FOX’s CEO Lachlan Murdoch, the decision to opt out of their Thursday Night Football contract was simply the right strategic move.

In came Amazon, who signed a deal to now be the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football from 2022 through 2033. Although the NFL declined to comment on the total amount of the agreement, according to people familiar with the matter, Amazon is paying about $1 billion per year for Thursday Night Football.

“NFL games are the most watched live programming in the United States, and this unprecedented Thursday Night Football package gives tens of millions of new and existing Prime members exclusive access to must-watch live football on Prime Video,” said Mike Hopkins, Senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, in a statement after the deal was announced.

TNF Broadcast Crew On Amazon

When it was announced that Amazon Prime was getting Thursday Night Football, the first question many people had was surrounding the potential broadcast crew. Well, the streaming giant did not disappoint with the talent that they brought in.

The legendary Al Michaels will be doing play-by-play, which will allow NFL fans to feel right at home. Michaels is off his 36th season as an NFL prime time play-by-play voice. He will be joined by Kirk Herbstreit as a color commentator. Herbstreit has been at ESPN since 1996 and is famous for his role on College Gameday. After holding positions with ABC, CNN, and ESPN, Kaylee Hartung will be making her return as Amazon Prime’s sideline reporter.

When it comes to pregame and halftime reporting, there are some impressive names as well. Charissa Thompson will be the host and is joined by former NFL players Richard Sherman, Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Andrew Whitworth.

Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Schedule

Channel: Amazon Prime Video

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Date: Sept. 15

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
Date: Sept. 22

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals
Date: Sept. 29

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos
Date: Oct. 6

Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears
Date: Oct. 13

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
Date: Oct. 20

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Date: Oct. 27

Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans
Date: Nov. 3

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Date: Nov. 10

Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers
Date: Nov. 17

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Date: Dec. 1

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams
Date: Dec. 8

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
Date: Dec. 15

Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
Date: Dec. 22

Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans
Date: Dec. 29