Amazon doesn’t want to limit itself to streaming football games on Thursday nights. The internet giant has struck a deal with the NFL for Prime Video to livestream a yearly match on Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving. The first game airs November 24th, 2023 at about 3PM Eastern, with the teams to be announced once the league shares its schedule for that season.
Deadlinenotes the Black Friday deal is separate from Thursday Night Football. While it’s not certain how much Amazon paid, the existing weekly arrangement has Amazon spending roughly $1 billion per year through 2033.
Amazon and the NFL aren’t shy about the reasoning. On top of creating a yearly tradition, this will give you a reason to visit Amazon (and subscribe to Prime) right as the holiday shopping frenzy kicks off. You may come for the football, but stay to buy toys or an Echo speaker.
Whatever Amazon paid for the deal, it’s likely to have a large audience. Thursday Night Football’s debut on Prime Video is currently averaging 10.8 million viewers, according to Nielsen ratings. That’s up 25 percent in the 18-49 age group versus the first five games from 2021. A Black Friday stream might not accelerate growth, but it could keep viewers hooked.