Amazon’s PRIMETIME New Event Reshapes Traditional Thanksgiving Football Game Schedule
By Pierre Herubel
Let’s talk about the National Football League (NFL), Miami Dolphins, and the New York Jets. These teams are going to be facing off in the first-ever NFL Thanksgiving game, which will be streamed exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video. This unprecedented decision by the NFL is taking a new route. It demonstrates shifting ways people consume entertainment, sports, and programming. Amazon and NFL are partnering, and they hope this new tradition will grow bigger in the years to come. Just like in previous Thanksgiving games, where we usually see matches between the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, this time around there’s something different. The NFL is chasing higher viewership, and utilizing Amazon as a platform could boost this significantly. The game is set to take place on Black Friday, and this strategy is poised for a win. Black Friday has traditionally been a bustling day for shopping, and Amazon is incorporating QR codes on the screen that will link to Black Friday deals, which is really interesting. And what better way to tie it all together by having music legend, Garth Brooks, perform in a post-game concert. The NFL is trying to tap into more audience, and the move to digital platforms could expand their reach significantly.
Beyond NFL and Amazon, other players such as Warner Bros. Discovery are also foraying into the world of streaming live sports programming. The situation is swiftly evolving. The renowned sports programming cable operator ESPN is all set to take ESPN to the streaming world, and it’s very likely to impact traditional cable bundling.
Although many are ready to take the leap into the streaming world from traditional TV, a recent report from Nielsen reveals that traditional TV usage is bouncing back. Although a majority of the growth stems from football, this rebirth is actually providing mutual benefits for traditional cable TV and linear TV.
The real shake-up is poised to happen when ESPN releases its direct-to-consumer offering. When this occurs, it could signal a rapid exodus from the bundle model. ESPN is a huge player in the market, and it already holds an impressive chunk of sports content. If its DTC product can bring all that content together, it could lead to a huge spike in cord-cutting.
This scenario might spell bad news for companies that aren’t as ahead when it comes to streaming. This could spell potential trouble for Fox, for example, who has really doubled down on the bundle, and right now, it’s facing some uncertainty about the future. Will this shift away from traditional TV be the death knell for many traditional companies? The next few years will be absolutely pivotal.
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