TNF has begun dominating the NFL season, giving fans another great chance to watch their favorite teams playing. However, with the ever-evolving landscape of sports broadcasting, many fans are left wondering: What channel is Thursday Night Football on? Is it the same and if networks change each year or do they remain the same every season? In this article I will focus on the details of Thursday Night Football broadcasts and what broadcast channel TNF games, how to watch it, and why moving to streaming has become a huge point of discussion.
Analyzing the Evolution of Thursday Night Football
Thursday Night Football was initiated in the 2006/07 season in order to increase NFL broadcasts presence and diversify the week games option for the viewers. Which was first a weekly show on the NFL Network and could also be seen from time to time on other stations. Nevertheless, as the demand for getting the show TNF increases with every episode, general and more open call for the broadcasting rights became an imperative.
In recent years, many networks have come on board, but the big change happened in 2022 when the NFL signed a landmark agreement with Amazon Prime Video. This arrangement saw Amazon Prime Video become the exclusive broadcaster of Thursday Night Football which changed how fans could watch the games. This novel hop saw many of the traditional TNF viewers that had only seen the content on conventional TV networks switch to the streaming networks.
What Television Network is Thursday Night Football?
Amazon currently occupies the MNF rights from the 2022 NFL season, but Thursday Night Football is on prime video. This means that if you want to watch TNF you will have to make use of Amazon Prime or Prime Video. What it’s crucial to realize is although rights belong solely to amazon, some games could still air on other channels within NFL network or local networks in some regions but these instances are rare.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know about where to watch TNF:
| Broadcasting Network | Availability | Streaming Option | Year Introduced |
| Amazon Prime Video | Exclusive broadcast for all Thursday Night Football games | Requires Amazon Prime subscription | 2022 |
| NFL Network | Select markets and games may simulcast TNF | Available via cable or satellite TV providers | 2006 |
| Local Broadcast Stations | Occasionally in select markets depending on the team | Broadcast over the air (OTA) | Varies by region |
Why Amazon Prime Video?
The NFL made the right decision to bring Amazon Prime Video on board as the provider of Thursday Night Football. Amazon has the resources and for the last few years it has been more aggressive investing in sports broadcasting. TNF is not the only show that people use the company’s website to watch it has become a go-to site for streaming any number of live events including the Premier League, Thursday Night Football, and even some NBA matches.
The shift towards Amazon Prime Video also follows a bigger trend in the sports media landscape: a shift away from cable and satellite TV. For the NFL, this partnership also creates new merchandising opportunities, including potential for more overseas market, more advertisement points and better targeting of the young, tech-savvy generation who are already familiar with streaming.
Thursday Night Football How to Watch Without Cable
The easiest way to watch Thursday Night Football is if you have Amazon Prime Video Niper, but there are other ways to watch in if you don’t want to switch to cable service. Let’s take a look at the most popular options:
Prime Video (Available for Prime membership subscribers)
To make things easier to understand, if you’re an Amazon prime customer than you’re good to go. All you have to do is to go to your TNF account and select Prime Video to view the TNF game of your choice. If you are not an Amazon Prime member, you can take a free trial of the service or subscribe monthly to get Prime Video and much more.
Free Trials and Bundles
While signing up with the streaming services, some of them allow the viewer to pay for the subscription they already have such as; Amazon Prime Video deals in free trial or promotional offers Bundles. Such are YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, FuboTV and Sling TV. Most of these services also include Amazon Prime Video’s live stream of Thursday Night Football and they might let you watch the games without having to subscribe for a long time.
Local Broadcasts: TV Antennas
Earlier on it was noted that in some other regions, the local network may broadcast the game in adherence to a regional package. If you’re in one of those areas, you may be able to catch TNF games on air for free using a digital antenna that you can use to receive the over the air signals.
Are There Any Other Changes for TNF Fans?
In addition to changing the streaming service to Amazon Prime Video, the NFL has made changes to the TNF schedule based on its audience’s wishes. One modification is that in the 2023 season, the clubs need to have a higher mandatory time between Thursday night performances. This was due to welfare issues of the players and the physical strain that Thursday games were putting learners through.
Furthermore, the NFL has been strategic where some games HAVE BEEN fixed for TNF as to make the head competing and interesting to an audience. In general, with each passing week of the season, one can find good deals of essential appeals such as meetings of the leading teams, playoff contenders, and young talents.
Conclusion
The world of broadcasting Thursday Night Football has changed, and starting with the 2024 season, owners can tune in exclusively to Amazon Prime Video.
It might take a little getting used for those who have been used to the regular TV channels for watching the games but it has opportunities for streaming on a number of screens including Smartphone, tablets, smart TVs and others.
So no matter if you are a dedicated viewer, or enjoy tuning in just on Thursdays, there’s no question that TNF is here to stay, and the best way to watch all the games is through the streaming service – Amazon Prime Video.
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