Amazon Prime’s much-awaited Buffalo Bills-Miami Dolphins matchup on Thursday Night Football turned out to be a dud on the field, but proved a ratings winner for the streaming service.
The Bills easily handled the Dolphins, 31-10, but the game boasted an intriguing storyline late, as Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion.
Amazon Prime announced Friday that the game attracted a peak audience of 18.09 million viewers, a TNF record. It averaged 14.96 million viewers, making it the third most-watched TNF game.
For some perspective, Amazon Prime reported the average viewership topped TNF’s 2023 season average by 26% (14.96 million viewers compared to 11.86 million).
🏈 Last night’s @NFLonPrime season-opener earned big viewership, averaging 14.96M viewers and attracting the streamer’s largest peak audience to date! 📈 pic.twitter.com/vupJuDQbfJ
— PrimeVideoSportsPR (@PrimeSportsPR) September 13, 2024
In addition, TNF’s pregame show, TNF Tonight, averaged 1.88 million viewers, setting a new record. That show likely benefitted from airing reporter Taylor Rooks’ interview with Tyreek Hill about his recent encounter with police officers, an incident that sparked a national debate. The TNF Tonight panel then gave their thoughts on the issue.
.@TaylorRooks sits down with @cheetah to discuss Sunday’s incident with police. pic.twitter.com/hP5oTpe7ZD
— NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) September 12, 2024
Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and analyst Kirk Herbstreit talked about Hill’s ordeal, with Michaels calling video of the incident, “unbelievable in a way.”
Amazon Prime has high hopes for this year’s TNF ratings. Many observers, including Michaels, have noted the improved slate of games. The Bills-Dolphins matchup certainly did not disappoint, even if the game failed to meet expectations on the field.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.