Al Michaels, the longtime NFL play-by-play commentator, has signed an agreement with Amazon Prime video, according to the New York Post, which will see him leading the streamer’s coverage of Thursday Night Football this fall.
The Post also claims that Michaels’ broadcast partner will be ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit and that an official announcement could come later in the week. As of writing, Amazon has yet to make an official statement on the matter.
Michaels has been a sportscaster since the late 1960s, most notably providing coverage for ABC Sports for three decades between 1976 and 2006 and with NBC Sports since 2006. He is best known for his play-by-play work of NFL games, including ABC Monday Night Football from 1986 to 2005 and NBC Sunday Night Football from 2006 to 2022.
After calling his record-tying 11th Super Bowl for NBC last month, it was revealed that Michaels was a free agent. The Post reports that he will still call a game or two for NBC, including its extra NFL playoff game, but that he is free to sign elsewhere. Mike Tirico, former Monday Night Football play-by-play broadcaster for ESPN, is set to permanently replace Michaels at NBC beginning next season.
Amazon snapped up the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football during the NFL’s most recent television contract negotiations. The 11-year deal is said to be worth more than a billion dollars per year.
Michaels is expected to sign a three-year contract with Amazon and will be paid “Joe Buck money,” according to The Post‘s sources. Buck recently signed a five-year deal with ESPN worth $75 million; he will be calling the sports network’s coverage of Monday Night Football alongside his longtime Fox partner, Troy Aikman.
The negotiations between Michaels and Amazon have been going on for several months, as Michaels waited to see if ESPN or Fox would become potential options. The Post claims that ESPN would have paired Michaels with Aikman had Fox not let Buck out of his contract.
Michaels’ NBC broadcast partner Cris Collinsworth tweeted his support on Monday, sharing a video of his famous Collinsworth slide. “One final time with the greatest of all time!,” he captioned the tweet.
One final time with the greatest of all time! pic.twitter.com/x85I66kOV1
— Cris Collinsworth (@CollinsworthPFF) March 21, 2022
Fans also expressed their sadness that Michaels was leaving NBC Sunday Night Football. Check out the reaction below.
I don’t think I can convey how sad I am that Al Michaels is leaving NBC. Him and Chris Collinsworth were easily my favorite duo. Amazon is finding new ways to fuck everything up for us
— mike (@biggmiik3) March 21, 2022
I’ve never understood the dislike for Al and Cris.
They were SNF.
I was a fan.
Mike Tirico now replaces Al Michaels as Al goes to Amazon. https://t.co/lmhuQtEkfb
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) March 21, 2022
I just wanna live long enough to bring it at age 77. And here is Al Michaels still bringing his A game.
Much respect to a living legend. https://t.co/bOxSovlr3f
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) March 21, 2022
One of our favorite Al Michaels // Cris Collinsworth calls pic.twitter.com/d9qAnA3m1f
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) March 21, 2022
I love Al Michaels. He’s an A level play by play guy https://t.co/PH9ctuDHkO
— WFT Declassified Podcast (@DeclassifiedWft) March 21, 2022