NFL Tables Flex Scheduling for Prime Video ‘Thursday Night Football,’ Approves Other Changes for Thursday Games
“Thursday Night Football” on Prime Video is somewhat controversial in NFL circles. Fans have noted for years that the quality of play is consistently poorer on “TNF” than on Sundays, though that apparently doesn't have an impact on their willingness to watch. Players are in lockstep regarding their disdain for playing on short weeks, and owners are just as coordinated in their belief that “TNF” is good for the brand (and their own wallets).
The debates surrounding “TNF” are reigniting this week, as the NFL has been considering a proposal to allow flexible scheduling on Thursday nights. The league has tabled that proposal for now, suggesting that while it’s something NFL commissioner Roger Goodell believes in strongly, it does not yet have enough team owners behind it to pass.
The measure would have allowed the league to move games in and out of the Thursday night timeslot starting in week 14, ensuring viewers got to see teams with playoff potential on a national stage as the season winds down. This would certainly have an effect on the quality of matchups “TNF” gets on paper, and allow Prime Video to try to boost its audience by showing more consequential games.
Its likely the proposal will be brought up again in the near future, once the league has had time to lobby more owners. The NFL did make one change to its “TNF” procedures; teams can now play on Thursday nights a maximum of two times during the season. Previously a squad could only play on “TNF” once per year, a rule designed with player safety in mind. Players like superstar Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes took to social media to register their disapproval of that change.
Flexible scheduling on Thursday nights is not dead, and will likely be revisited by owners sometime before the start of the 2023 season. The measure would need approval from 24 of the 32 team owners to pass, but analysts still see it as a likely eventuality, given the potential for increasing revenues that it offers.
The measure would clearly be a benefit for Prime Video if it does go into effect. “TNF” games on Prime Video drew an average of 9.6 million viewers in 2022, which was the first year the streamer was the exclusive home of national Thursday broadcasts. That number represented a 41% decrease from the year previous when national telecasts of “TNF” were also available on FOX and NFL Network. Given that sharp decline, Prime Video is likely to favor any proposal that leads to an increase in its ratings.
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.