Amazon will broadcast a special Black Friday telecast of a National Football League (NFL) game for free later this year.
The announcement comes several months after Amazon and the NFL said the tech company would be the first to offer a Black Friday game after Amazon completed last season as the exclusive rights holder to Thursday Night Football.
The teams playing in the 2023 Black Friday game have yet to be announced, but Amazon says the event will be free to access online, even if a customer does not pay for Amazon Prime or have a subscription to Amazon Prime Video.
Last year, Amazon’s Thursday Night Football games were simulcast on the gaming platform Twitch without a subscription, though NFL games streamed through Twitch were limited to phones, tablets and computers (TV viewers were locked into watching the games on Prime Video).
“We’re excited to expand our relationship with the NFL and build a new holiday tradition for our customers with the first Black Friday NFL game,” Jay Marine, Amazon’s VP of Prime Video and its global head of sports, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We’re so very proud of our Thursday Night Football production and all the teams in front of and behind the camera. As families look to spend time together over the holiday weekend, we are excited to provide an opportunity for everyone to enjoy this new day of NFL action.”
Amazon’s Thursday Night Football broadcasts — and next year’s Black Friday broadcast — are called by Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit, with Kaylee Hartung serving as an in-game reporter.
The NFL’s schedule for the 2023-2024 football season is expected to be released in about two months.
