Not long ago, Al Michaels did not know what streaming media was. However, for this experienced broadcaster, joining the broadcast team of Amazon Prime video exclusive coverage of “Thursday night football” is an opportunity to try new things and win the support of NFL fans with high-quality production.
In a video chat with the media and other members of Amazon’s new “TNF” team on Tuesday, Michaels said: “I think it’s very exciting because all my friends, my children and my grandchildren think it’s the coolest thing in the world.”.
Although Michaels and long-time producer Fred gaudelli, analyst partner Kirk herbstreit and sideline journalist Kaylee Hartung are moving towards a different platform with the support of Amazon’s technical expertise and strong financial resources, Michaels said that there is no plan to reinvent the wheel in broadcasting football matches.
“We’re not going to do anything crazy. Maybe interactivity is a little different from standard broadcasting,” Michaels said. “I told some people that they thought we crossed the Rocky Mountains in a covered carriage. I said we crossed the Rocky Mountains with broadband. We were pioneers.”
This season, Amazon will become the first streaming media service provider that specifically provides NFL with a national broadcast plan. This major video transaction lasted 11 years and could cost Amazon $1 billion per quarter. Sportico previously reported that Amazon actually doubled the $660 million fox paid for “TNF”
Amazon’s move is part of a larger trend for technology giants to become major players in obtaining the right to broadcast live sports events. The New York Times reported this summer that this was “the horror of media companies” because technology companies such as apple and Google “did not abide by the same financial rules”
Michael and herbstreit, the Emmy prize winner and ESPN university football analyst, officially signed a contract in March. Although they have already played a non broadcast test game together, their first real streaming media test will start at 4:00 p.m. this Thursday. At that time, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers will participate in the pre-season game.
The “TNF” regular season will officially start on September 15. The Los Angeles charger team and the Kansas City Chiefs will have a match. The game will play on Amazon. Com home page, through the prime video application, on Amazon’s twitch, and on the wireless TV stations in the two local markets of the competition team.
Amazon also announced a new agreement with DirecTV to allow games to be played in bars and restaurants.
Amazon previously had the right to play streaming media in the three-party simulcast with Fox and NFL networks, so prime video has some experience in understanding what it wants to bring to its fans. As an exclusive provider, Amazon promises to launch new pre game, mid game and post game programs, as well as other video sources, such as pairing with the hero in perfect playboy.
Interactive functions such as X-ray, alternating flow and next-generation statistical data are the main functions of “TNF” on prime. Gaudelli is a 24 time Emmy award winning producer who has worked with Michaels for 21 years. He listed more technologies available to him.
Gaudelli said: “we will have two sky cameras, so we will have regular sky cameras and high-altitude cameras.”. “I think we have 13 high-speed and ultra slow mo cameras. We will have our first kicking technology in Sunday night football. It will be a very, very powerful work.”
Marie Donoghue, vice president of Amazon global sports video, said that Amazon is a “innovation first company” and prime video will be broadcast in this way.
“We’ve prepared some surprises for you,” Donohue said, adding that the streaming media platform provides fans with an excellent opportunity to get data and highlights and have almost unlimited choices. “Not everyone wants to watch the game in the same way. We do not choose one type of fans to serve, we try to serve all fans.”