Everything You Need to Know About Prime Video’s First Exclusive NFL Game
The weekly “Thursday Night Football” game has long been something of a backwater for the NFL. Its rights have moved among the NFL Network, CBS, NBC, and FOX, with Prime Video, and Twitter even streaming some games in recent years. Between 2018 and 2021, FOX and Amazon shared the package and for most of that time, the Thursday game was rarely one of the most prominent of the NFL week.
This year, that seems to be changing, as it is Prime Video’s first season of its 11-year deal as the exclusive provider of Thursday night games, the first streaming service to land an exclusive season-long NFL package. They’ve also hired a legendary play-by-play broadcaster, Al Michaels, away from NBC, and he will call the games along with ESPN veteran Kirk Herbstreit.
While NBC still has the rights to the “kickoff” game, which was played last Thursday, the Prime-exclusive era begins on Thursday, Sept. 15, with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Los Angeles Chargers. All of the year’s Thursday night games are on Prime Video except for Week 1 and Thanksgiving night, both of which feature NBC broadcasts. There will also be no Thursday night game on Week 18, so Prime Video’s season will consist of 15 games.
The first Amazon-exclusive game is an AFC West divisional battle, both featuring star quarterbacks — Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert. Both teams enter the game with 1-0 records, after the Chiefs defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1, and the Chargers beat the Las Vegas Raiders.
Can You Watch Thursday Night Football for Free?
Yes, Prime Video offers a generous 30-day free trial.
After the game, you can enjoy exclusive standout shows like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “The Boys,” “A League of Their Own,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Fleabag,” and “Jack Ryan.”
Also during your trial, be sure to scroll through the movie section for hits like “The Lost City,” “Fight Club,” “The Godfather,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “The Terminator,” “Titanic,” “World War Z” and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Which Devices Do You Need to Watch Thursday Night Football?
Amazon Prime Video is compatible with Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, Android TV, iPhone/iPad, Android Phone/Tablet, Mac, Windows, PlayStation, Xbox, LG Smart TV, Samsung Smart TV, Sony Smart TV, and VIZIO Smart TV.
Can You DVR Thursday Night Football Games?
Yes, Prime Video is allowing users to record the game on a built-in DVR. Just select any Thursday night game and on the event screen, you’ll have the option to record Thursday Night Football. We don’t yet know how long the games will be available after the broadcast ends.
Is Thursday Night Football in 4K?
No. Right now, there are no 4K NFL games on the schedule this season. FOX may broadcast select nationally televised games in 4K later this season.
Are There Any Other Ways to Watch Thursday Night Football?
If you live in the regular broadcast area of the teams involved, the games will also air on a ABC, CBS, Fox or NBC affiliate (which will be different depending on the week). This means you would be able to watch on most live TV streaming services if you’re in the Kansas City or Los Angeles areas in Week 1 if they carry KTTV or KSHB. That doesn’t help you after this week, however.
If you have an antenna, you may also be able to pick up the broadcasts in your area. But again, that workaround only helps on the weeks your local team may be playing. For every other week, you’d need Prime Video to watch the games.
Another option is to use Amazon’s streaming platform Twitch.TV, which will simulcast the game on their web platform. This is a good way to watch if you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber just yet.
Are There Any Alternative Thursday Night Football Broadcasts?
In the tradition of ESPN’s popular “Manningcast,” Amazon has also gotten into the alternative broadcast game. The viral trick shot group Dude Perfect will host alternate broadcasts for some games, as will veteran NFL reporters and anchors Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer. Prime Video will make a Spanish-language stream available for each game as well.
Is Amazon Bringing Any Special Features For TNF?
The X-Ray technology, which has been used in Prime Video TV shows, has also been incorporated into the football broadcasts, along with Amazon Web Services’ Next Gen Stats, continuing an established partnership between the NFL and AWS.
Alexa and Fire TV have introduced a set of features that make watching games easier and more enjoyable.
2022 NFL Thursday Night Football Schedule
| Date | Teams | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Week 2, Sept. 15 | Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 3, Sept. 22 | Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 4, Sept. 29 | Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 5, Oct. 6 | Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 6, Oct. 13 | Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 7, Oct. 20 | New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 8, Oct. 27 | Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 9, Nov. 3 | Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 10, Nov. 10 | Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 11, Nov. 17 | Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 13, Dec. 1 | Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 14, Dec. 8 | Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 15, Dec. 15 | San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 16, Dec. 22 | Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets | 8:15 p.m. |
| Week 17, Dec. 29 | Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans | 8:15 p.m. |
While these games will be exclusive to Prime Video, fans in the home markets of the teams playing will be able to watch them on local broadcast stations, as has long been the case when games have been cable-exclusive.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.