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Legendary Announcer Al Michaels and Emmy Award-Winning Analyst Kirk Herbstreit Join Amazon as the Voices of "Thursday Night Football" on Prime Video
Emmy-winning producer Fred Gaudelli joins Prime Video to executive produce Thursday Night Football game coverage
Prime Video's exclusive coverage of TNF kicks off September 15
NEW YORK - March 23, 2022 - Prime Video announced today that iconic play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and Emmy-winning analyst Kirk Herbstreit have joined Prime Video to call its exclusive coverage of NFL Thursday Night Football. The inaugural season of the historic 11-year agreement kicks off Thursday, September 15.
The recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2011, Michaels recently completed his record 36th campaign as the play-by-play announcer of the NFL in prime time. Michaels called his 11th Super Bowl in February, matching the most ever for a television commentator.
Herbstreit has served as the lead college football analyst for ESPN since 1996. In that time, Herbstreit has established himself as one of the preeminent voices in the sport, garnering 14 Sports Emmys for his work as both a live event analyst on ABC's Saturday Night Football as well as a studio analyst on ESPN's College GameDay.
Fred Gaudelli, a 24-time Emmy-winning producer, will also join Prime Video as executive producer of Thursday Night Football. Gaudelli will lead the Thursday Night Football production on-site each week, as part of a collaboration with NBC Sports, continuing a storied career with his 33rd season as the lead producer for the NFL in prime time. Gaudelli, who produced his seventh Super Bowl in February, will continue on NBC Sports' executive team and will serve as a key contributor to NBC Sunday Night Football's editorial and production efforts.
"Over the last 36 seasons, I've been at the mic describing some of the most magical moments and games in NFL history and am looking forward to many more," said Michaels. "This is the new frontier in sports television and to be a part of the launch at this point in my career is both exciting and stimulating. The NFL is the king of unscripted television and I'm looking forward to joining Kirk to bring fans more dramatic episodes on Thursday nights this fall."
"I'm thrilled to be a part of Prime Video's game-changing new Thursday Night Football telecasts, and it's an honor to join the booth alongside Al," said Herbstreit. "Together, we will build the next generation of NFL programming. I'm proud to be part of the Amazon team and can't wait to get started."
"Al and I have had a great run for 21 years and I'm thrilled to extend our relationship and welcome Kirk Herbstreit to the Prime Video team," said Gaudelli. "Al and Kirk will make Thursday Night Football a unique viewing experience for all NFL fans."
"Al and Kirk bring unparalleled experience to our historic new Thursday Night Football game telecasts, as we kick off our groundbreaking new agreement with the NFL," said Marie Donoghue, vice president, Global Sports Video, Amazon. "Having these two legends in the booth, with the best game producer in the business, Fred Gaudelli, will help make Thursday night the most exciting football night of the week."
"With their infectious passion for the game, Al, Kirk, and Fred are the perfect building blocks to make Thursday Night Football on Prime Video a weekly destination for all football fans," said Jared Stacy, director of Global Live Sports Production, Prime Video. "We're thrilled to have this crew on board as we create a dynamic, informative, and entertaining night of NFL programming that will make every big moment on the field feel even bigger."
When TNF returns, Prime Video will become the first streaming service to air a season-long exclusive national broadcast package with the NFL. The 11-year deal includes 15 regular-season games and one preseason game per year, with Prime Video also delivering new pregame, halftime, and postgame shows as well as fan-favorite interactive features like X-Ray and Next Gen Stats powered by AWS. Prime Video and the NFL will continue to collaborate on exclusive NFL content and enhanced fan-viewing experiences around Thursday Night Football, with more information to follow in the coming months. For all the latest information regarding TNF on Prime Video, visit amazon.com/TNF.
ABOUT AL MICHAELS:
One of television's most respected journalists, Michaels has covered more major sports events than any sportscaster, including 20 years as the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football. He is the only commentator to call the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and host the Stanley Cup Final for network television. In addition, Michaels called the classic 1985 championship boxing match between Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns and "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler. He is the only TV commentator with a Super Bowl play-by-play run of three decades.
Among his many accolades, Michaels has captured eight Emmy Awards - seven for Outstanding Sports Personality - Play-by-Play and one in 2011 for the Lifetime Achievement Award, and has three times (1980, 1983 and 1986) received the NSSA Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association; he was inducted into the NSSA Hall of Fame in 1998. Michaels was named Sportscaster of the Year in 1996 by the American Sportscasters Association, and, in 1991, he was named Sportscaster of the Year by the Washington Journalism Review. In 2004, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In December 2020, Michaels was honored with the 2021 Ford C. Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Michaels is one of only five distinguished broadcasters to be recognized with the baseball honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Award (Dick Enberg, Lindsey Nelson, Jack Buck, and Curt Gowdy).
Michaels garnered his first Sportscaster of the Year award in 1980, the year he made his memorable call, "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" on the U.S. men's hockey team's dramatic upset victory over the USSR at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics. His reputation for Olympic acumen grew with his coverage of figure skating and hockey at the 1984 Winter Games in Sarajevo, and track & field and road cycling at the Summer Games in Los Angeles. He also called hockey during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games.
Regarded as one of the best baseball announcers of all time, Michaels was ABC's lead baseball play-by-play announcer during the network's coverage of Major League Baseball. He has also earned praise as a journalist and became just the second sportscaster in history to receive a News Emmy nomination for his coverage of the San Francisco earthquake during the 1989 World Series.
Michaels currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
ABOUT KIRK HERBSTREIT
Recognized for his clear analysis of on-field action along with his deep connections across the football landscape, Herbstreit regularly provides expert insight as a contributor to ESPN's original programming. In his tenure at ESPN, Herbstreit has called 13 National Championship games, more than any other analyst in history.
Herbstreit also serves as a lead analyst for ESPN's annual coverage of The NFL Draft and has called Monday Night Football on double-header weeks alongside Chris Fowler.
A former Ohio State University Quarterback, Herbstreit served as team captain for The Buckeyes where he lettered all four years and was recognized as team MVP and most motivational player. He graduated from the university in 1993 with a degree in business administration. Herbstreit and his wife Allison are the proud parents of Jake, Tye, Zak, and Chase.
About Prime Video Sports
Prime Video supports a growing lineup of live sports globally, including Thursday Night Football, the WNBA, the New York Yankees, and Seattle Sounders FC in the United States; Premier League in the United Kingdom; US Open Tennis, ATP, and WTA in the United Kingdom and Ireland; UEFA Champions League football in Germany and Italy; Roland Garros and Ligue 1 in France; Australian Swimming globally; and New Zealand Cricket in India. While availability varies by marketplace, fans can also subscribe to streaming services such as Eurosport, FOX Sports (Mexico), LaLigaTV, MLB.TV, NBA League Pass, NBA TV, and Premiere FC (Brazil) through Prime Video Channels. This is in addition to a selection of Amazon Original All or Nothing sports docuseries including All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur, All or Nothing: Juventus, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs, and All or Nothing seasons with the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the NCAA's Michigan Wolverines football team.
Prime Video is just one of many shopping, savings, and entertainment benefits included with a Prime membership, along with fast, free shipping on millions of Prime-eligible items at Amazon.com, ultrafast grocery delivery and pickup, unlimited photo storage, exclusive deals and discounts, prescription savings, and access to ad-free music, books, and games. To sign up or start a 30-day free trial of Prime, visit: amazon.com/prime.
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