Amazon play-by-play announcer Al Michaels wasn’t too shy about his disappointment with the slate of NFL games during last season’s Thursday Night Football campaign. It appears that the NFL heard him, or at the very least, wanted to improve the offerings that Prime Video had for its viewers in Year 2.
The 2023-2024 NFL schedule handed out some very solid games to TNF, some of which are among the most intriguing heading into the season.
“Prime Video gets a much better schedule of games in its second season,” said Awful Announcing’s Joe Lucia. “Highlights include Vikings-Eagles in Week 2, Giants-49ers in Week 3, Bengals-Ravens in Week 11, and Patriots-Steelers in Week 14. The streamer also snags the NFL’s first Black Friday game, Dolphins-Jets in Week 12. It’s not the best schedule of any NFL media partner, but it has far fewer duds than last year.”
That’s all music to Al Michaels’ ears.
“Love the way we come out of the gate,” Michaels told Sports Illustrated. “Three ‘A’ grade games. Two Aaron Rodgers games. Baltimore-Cincinnati, another good one. League did us a solid.
“I was raring to go the minute I saw the whole slate. Already thinking of storylines for each game, of which there is no shortage.”
Michaels is also a huge fan of Prime’s Black Friday matchup between Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets and Tua Tagovailoa’s Miami Dolphins.
“Great idea. Tens of millions recovering from the prior day’s tryptophan hangover will love it,” said Michaels, who expects the game to drive sales for Amazon. “Rodgers-Tua, a marquee matchup on any day.”
Last season, Michaels likened calling most TNF games to selling a “used car,” said that Amazon’s schedule of games “was a little leaky,” and found himself calling a “farcical” game or two.
Aside from Jeff Bezos, it’s hard to imagine there’s anyone over at Amazon more thrilled about the upcoming TNF schedule than Al Michaels.
[Sports Illustrated Jimmy Traina]
