Al Michaels to Become Face of Amazon’s NFL Coverage
Acclaimed broadcaster, who will be joined by Kirk Herbstreit in the booth, is latest high-profile NFL announcer to change employers
Al Michaels, right, will become an announcer on Amazon.com’s “Thursday Night Football” coverage. Fred Gaudelli, left, will be the executive producer.PHOTO: WILLY SANJUAN/ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Joe Flint Follow
Updated March 23, 2022 2:11 pm ET
Amazon.com Inc. AMZN -0.90% said it has signed acclaimed broadcaster Al Michaels to anchor its “Thursday Night Football” coverage on its Prime Video streaming platform, the latest move in a game of musical chairs among National Football League announcers.
Mr. Michaels, who most recently was the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football,” signed a three-year contract with Amazon, AMZN -0.90% a person familiar with the matter said.
While Prime Video has streamed “Thursday Night Football” since 2019, it was a simulcast of coverage from Fox Corp.’s Fox and the NFL Network. As of this fall, Prime Video will be the exclusive national home for the Thursday games as part of its 11-year deal with the NFL. Fox Corp. and Wall Street Journal parent News Corp share common ownership.
“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,” Mr. Michaels said in a statement Wednesday.
Amazon has also signed ESPN college football commentator Kirk Herbstreit to provide color commentary alongside Mr. Michaels.
Al Michaels at a Los Angeles Rams-Seattle Seahawks game during the 2019 season in Los Angeles.PHOTO: MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The 77-year-old Mr. Michaels is the only announcer to call the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and host the Stanley Cup Final. He is also known for his famous “do you believe in miracles” call when the U.S. hockey team stunned the Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Many high-profile NFL broadcasters have changed employers lately, as TV networks and streaming services are looking to increase viewership and help recoup the significant investments they have made to acquire NFL rights.
Last week, ESPN signed Fox broadcasters Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to anchor their “Monday Night Football” telecast. And on Tuesday, Comcast Corp.’s NBC said NBC Sports broadcaster Mike Tirico would call “Sunday Night Football,” taking over for Mr. Michaels.
Mr. Herbstreit, who will join Mr. Michaels in the Amazon booth, said in an interview that he would continue in his role at ESPN as part of its college football coverage, including appearing on its three-hour “Game Day” program and calling games on Saturday night. Mr. Herbstreit’s agreement with Amazon is for five years, the person familiar with the matter said.
Kirk Herbstreit at a game between the Louisville Cardinals and the University of Mississippi Rebels last September in Atlanta.PHOTO: MICHAEL WADE/ICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES
Mr. Herbstreit said his first love remains college football and added that holding on to his job at ESPN was crucial, even though it will mean a very heavy workload.
“I’m going to be seven days a week for four months,” he said of his double duty.
Amazon said the executive producer of the Prime Video coverage will be Fred Gaudelli, who worked with Mr. Michaels at both “Sunday Night Football” and when Mr. Michaels was calling “Monday Night Football” for ABC.
Mr. Gaudelli will continue to serve as executive producer at “Sunday Night Football,” although his role will now be more advisory in fashion, an NBC Sports spokesman said. Rob Hyland, an NBC Sports veteran, will helm the control room for “Sunday Night Football,” the spokesman said.
Messrs. Michaels and Herbstreit have never worked together before and only recently met on a get-to-know-you Zoom video call along with Mr. Gaudelli, Mr. Herbstreit said. It may take a few games to build an on-air rapport with Mr. Michaels, Mr. Herbstreit said, but he’s confident the two will find their groove.
“It will take time to develop,” Mr. Herbstreit said, adding that he will follow Mr. Michaels’s lead when calling a game instead of attempting to overwhelm the coverage with so-called hot takes. “I tend to err on the side of giving the play-by-play guy room.”
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