Reblogged from：

https://newonnetflix.org/al-michaels-amazon

Reblogged from：

https://newonnetflix.org/al-michaels-amazon

Reblogged from：

https://newonnetflix.org/al-michaels-amazon

Reblogged from：

https://newonnetflix.org/al-michaels-amazon

Al Michaels, the legendary NFL announcer, has agreed to join Amazon as the host of a live streaming NFL game. The contract, valued at $30 million over three years, is not for a season, but rather for the entire streaming platform. Michaels has been the voice of Sunday Night Football on NBC since 2006, and joining Amazon's streaming platform makes sense. Amazon is looking to become one of the biggest streaming companies in the world, and he's the perfect fit for the project.

Al Michaels to call "Thursday Night Football" for Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is partnering with the NFL to offer Thursday Night Football as a live streamed series starting next season. In addition to Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit will be his co-anchor in the booth. Both have been on primetime and college football coverage on ESPN. Michaels has served as play-by-play announcer for Sunday Night Football since 2006, when he was paired with John Madden. In 2009, Michaels was replaced by Chris Collinsworth.

The announcement comes on the heels of reports that ESPN has hired Tirico as the heir apparent to Michaels' NFL primetime gig. While Tirico has been touted as the next great play-by-play announcer, Michaels' contract is set to expire in June. It is unclear how much Amazon paid for NFL rights, but the move will be an important addition to the streaming service's video advertising business.

Amazon is paying a reported $1 billion for the rights to broadcast Thursday Night Football, and is hoping to entice top-tier broadcasters. Al Michaels has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and previously called NBC's Super Bowl and "Sunday Night Football" on NBC. Besides Michaels, Amazon is also partnering with Kirk Herbstreit and Mike Tirico to call the game on Amazon Prime Video.

Michaels' new gig will give fans a lot to look forward to. While Al has been in the booth for more than a decade, this will be his first opportunity to call Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video. His salary will be similar to Joe Buck's, who departed NBC to call Monday Night Football for ESPN. In addition to his move to Prime Video, Michaels will continue to contribute to NBC's other properties.

With the deal with Amazon, the NFL has a season-long exclusive package with Amazon. Previously, both ESPN and Fox had the rights to play Thursday Night Football, so it makes sense for Amazon to get a piece of the action. However, Michaels and Herbstreit would have been able to negotiate a five-year deal that would have allowed them to stay in their current roles.

Kirk Herbstreit to be his co-anchor

It's a big move for ESPN veteran Kirk Herbstreit, who has signed a deal to co-anchor "Thursday Night Football" for Amazon. Though the deal won't interfere with Herbstreit's ESPN responsibilities, it could also take him away from hosting college football games. Amazon is also reportedly pursuing Al Michaels to become its Thursday Night Football co-anchor. Earlier this year, Michaels was reported to be looking for a three-year, $33 million deal to co-anchor "THF." If Herbstreit is hired, Michaels will most likely follow.

Herbstreit's resume is packed with sports coverage, including college football. He has called eight Rose Bowl Games and seven BCS National Championships. He also partnered with legendary play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger to call Sunday's NFL Draft and the first of the two Monday Night Football Kickoff Week doubleheaders in 2020. Herbstreit and his wife Allison have two sons, Jake and Tye.

The NFL Thursday Night Football broadcast will be available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, which will make it the only place to watch the game outside of your local market. Amazon has also set the date for Michaels' return to "Thursday Night Football" on its streaming service. The move comes as a sign of Amazon's ambition to become one of the premier players in TV sports. Besides Al Michaels, Amazon is also signing Kirk Herbstreit and Fred Gaudelli as executive producers of "THNF" on its streaming service.

While Al Michaels is retiring from Sunday Night Football after the Super Bowl, the deal with Amazon Prime Video is a huge deal for NBC Sports. Amazon will broadcast 15 Thursday Night Football games each year for its members, including those in their own markets. The deal is worth up to $18 million per year. However, Michaels is still expected to take part in the NFL playoffs, as well as play-by-play for the Olympics in 2024.

While it's great news for NBC, there is a big downside for Michaels' ego. He's a veteran play-by-play announcer and will continue to do Monday Night Football on NBC. It's good news for the NFL and the fans, but the question remains: can he do it in his new role at Amazon? There are a few other details that still remain to be worked out.

16-game package

With his 15 regular-season games and one preseason game, Michaels will call every single game for Amazon's 16-game Thursday football package. The package will not include the kickoff game, Thanksgiving games, or the team's game against the New York Giants, which are separate games. In addition, last year's package included a game in London, a Saturday doubleheader, and a Christmas Day game.

Michaels was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up as a diehard Brooklyn Dodgers fan. He and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1958. Michaels graduated from Alexander Hamilton High School in 1962. He later attended Arizona State University where he studied radio and television and minored in journalism. He called games for the campus radio station, and was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Comparison to John Madden's move to Fox Sports

Many people will remember when Madden moved to Fox Sports. His ad blitzes and signature vocal punctuations helped to demystify the game of football and turned him into a pop culture figure. Before his move to Fox, he had been with CBS for more than a decade, and he earned a place in the American pop culture like Santa Claus. He was also the face of a video game, had a bus named after him and even had commercials for tough-actin' Tinactin. Unlike other sports commentators, Madden's ability to explain line plays and the finer points of a football game helped him become an invaluable asset to sports TV analysts.

Unlike the majority of sports commentators, Madden's move to Fox Sports was an unusual move for the NFL legend. Before his move to Fox, the legendary coach had not done a significant on-camera interview in nearly two decades. Afterwards, he was hired as a spokesperson for national brands like Verizon and Outback Steakhouse, and even became a spokeswoman for Tinactin. On December 25, Fox Sports will air a documentary titled "All Madden," leading up to a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field. The film features the first extensive on-camera interview between Madden and himself in over a decade.

One thing that impressed me about Madden's move to Fox was that he took the time to visit practice facilities, talk to players, and view the same film as the coaching staffs. The entire process became standard practice for TV crews within six months. Madden mapped out plays before kickoff. He would even draw on the field where the first down line would appear. He was even so innovative as to ask why the first down line needed to be on the screen during the entire game.

In 1989, Madden decided to retire from coaching to focus on television. He began his career at CBS as a color commentator. In 1981, he was promoted to play-by-play. He also teamed up with former NFL champion Steve Summerall. The two became inseparable from 1981 to 2002. Summerall's deadpan style and Madden's affinity for the telestrator made the two unbreakable.