It’s a gamble that Amazon believes will give its National Football League contract a little more oomph in the coming years.
A new “Black Friday” matchup is being added to the NFL schedule, starting next season. And, Prime Video will be the only place fans across the U.S. will be able to view the game.
The rumored arrangement was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
“Thanksgiving is synonymous with football, and we’re excited to give our fans another day of NFL action during this holiday weekend,” said Hans Schroeder, COO of NFL Media. “Amazon is uniquely positioned to partner with us for this game as Black Friday is one of the most important days of the year for their business.”
Thursday games in Dallas and Detroit, respectively, will remain on broadcast television networks per their current contracts with the NFL.
“Thursday Night Football has already proven tremendously successful on Prime Video, delivering millions of viewers every week, and we’re excited to expand our relationship with the NFL with the inaugural Black Friday game, starting next year,” said Jay Marine, Prime Video’s Global Head of Sports. “Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday season, and we’re thrilled to kick it off with a gift for football fans across the country with this new game.”
It is believed that a 3pm Eastern start time for the 2023 Black Friday game on Nov. 24, 2023 is being considered.
