DirecTV to distribute Amazon Prime Video’s "Thursday Night Football" across US-based venues

Amazon and DirecTV have struck a multi-year deal to debut Amazon’s NFL Thursday Night Football" broadcasts across more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, hotel lounges, casinos and sports books, retail shops and services.

Under the terms of the deal, Amazon paid $1 billion a year for an 11-year deal for Thursday nights, seeking exclusivity following years of simulcasting games with linear networks. "The sports media landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and the focus on delivering a great experience to our entire range of customers must remain at the center of that evolution,” DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun said. “This agreement between Amazon and DirecTV for Business comes at an important time when more streaming companies are obtaining exclusive rights to marquee sports programming and fans want to cheer on their teams at home and while out at bars, restaurants and other businesses with friends, family and coworkers.”

Fifteen games per season are scheduled to become avavilable in various national chains, amounting to approximately 1,000 locations or more as well as local, mom-and-pop sites. The project offer its first preseason game game between the San Francisco 49ers at the Houston Texans.

The 15-game regular-season slate begins in 15 September when the LA Chargers visit the defending AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs. All current DirecTV for Business customers subscribing to Business Entertainment, Business Xtra, Commercial Entertainment, Commercial Xtra, Commercial Choice Plus and the Spanish-language Commercial Mas Ultra will automatically get the Prime Video TNF feed for no additional cost. The content will be on DirecTV channel 9526 adjacent to other major sports streaming services and events.