Amazon is poised to launch its own 'Thursday Night Football' streaming service. Here's what's going to change:

Amazon is poised to launch its own 'Thursday Night Football' streaming service. Here's what's going to change:

Amazon is ready to launch its "Thursday Night Football" streaming service, with the hope of improving the broadcast experience enough to keep people coming back.

On Thursday, the firm will broadcast its inaugural NFL game, featuring two early season Super Bowl favorites, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. Pregame coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET, as indicated by a giant banner and countdown clock on Amazon's main page. The game will begin at 8:15 p.m. ET.

It's part of an agreement revealed in March last year between Amazon (AMZN) and the NFL, in which the tech giant would have exclusive rights to the league's "Thursday Night Football" games. The broadcasts were initially scheduled to begin in 2023, but were later pushed back to the 2022 season.

The game on Thursday is the latest example of Amazon making significant expenditures to become a streaming destination. It will most likely be the first time that many spectators would watch a game via Amazon Prime Video rather than traditional cable or broadcast channels. (Fans in both locations will still be able to watch the game on television.)

Amazon is adding numerous layers to the viewing experience in order to persuade fans that it is the future of sports broadcasting.

Viewers will get real-time access to Next Gen Stats, which employ machine learning to anticipate measures like throw completion and running yards. Amazon also stated that it will include its X-Ray function, which offers users with more information about what's on screen.

Amazon has also hired Charissa Thompson, former NFL players Richard Sherman, Tony Gonzalez, and Ryan Fitzpatrick, as well as notable commentator Al Michaels and longtime ESPN college football expert Kirk Herbstreit, to present pregame, halftime, and postgame commentary.

Furthermore, Amazon is collaborating with ratings firm Nielsen to track game viewership on Prime Video, a first for any streaming service.

The ball, on the other hand, remains constant. The actual game ball will not change, despite a promotional film showing NFL stars throwing about a new, differently shaped "Prime ball."