Amazon Prime Video has tapped sports betting company DraftKings as a sponsor for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football (TNF), bolstering the viewer experience ahead of the first game of the 2022-23 regular season.
TNF is premiering on Prime Video this Thursday, September 15 – featuring the Los Angeles Chargers versus the Kansas City Chiefs. DraftKings will be Amazon’s exclusive pregame and in-game odds provider for TNF games.
DraftKings will host the “TNF Predictions” segment for the “TNF Tonight” pregame show, enabling viewers to wager on featured same game parlay bets via the DraftKings app.
“We’re delighted to work with Prime Video to help fuel fan excitement and competitive spirit for Thursday Night Football,” said Stephanie Sherman, chief marketing officer at DraftKings, in a statement.
“We believe that streaming is the future of live sports and this collaboration will allow us to more effectively connect the game and gaming experience for football fans,” she went on to say.
Prime Video isn’t the only platform that wants to leverage sports betting to boost viewer interaction. FuboTV, though it recently placed its sports wagering business under strategic review, has said it still plans to integrate betting within the FuboTV app – possibly with a third-party partner.
Further enhancing interactivity, Amazon today also selected pizza chain Little Caesars as the presenting sponsor for “TNF Tonight.” By placing pizza orders through an on-screen QR code, viewers will be eligible to win “big ticket prizes,” according to Amazon.
Other TNF sponsors include Carnival Cruise Line, Audible and Mercedes-Benz USA. Each of those companies will be presenting sponsors for TNF’s upcoming programming lineup.
Carnival Cruise Line will be the sponsor and exclusive advertiser for “The NFL Pile On,” which will air on Prime Video each Wednesday of the regular season at 7 p.m. ET. The program, produced by Prime Video and NFL Films, will showcase comedic moments and other highlights each week, like touchdown celebrations, fan interactions, post-game interviews and more.
While Audible and Mercedes-Benz USA will present “TNF Kickoff” and “TNF Halftime Show,” respectively. “TNF Kickoff” will discuss the upcoming match-up and key players to watch during the game, whereas “TNF Halftime Show” will showcase highlights of the game in progress.
Additionally, Audible will be the presenting sponsor for “Prime Stories,” which will offer behind-the-scenes coverage of the teams’ preparation for the game.
Amazon last year secured the streaming rights to TNF – an 11-year deal for an estimated $1 billion annually. It includes 15 regular-season games and one preseason game per year, all of which will be live streamed via Prime Video and Twitch.
Pregame coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET each Thursday, with the game’s kickoff time scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET. Nielsen will measure full coverage of the TNF broadcast, including pre- and post-game programming.