NFL Began Holding Games on Black Friday

On November 24, 2023, a new tradition in American sports broadcasting was born: the first-ever NFL Black Friday game, exclusively streamed by Amazon Prime Video. Set against the backdrop of one of the biggest shopping days of the year, this event marked a major shift not just in the NFL’s scheduling but also in how fans experience football. The game kicked off at 3 p.m. ET, creating a bridge between Thanksgiving Day football and the weekend matchups that follow. The Announcement and Its Significance The announcement, made in 2022, signaled a deeper partnership between the NFL and Amazon, one that has been evolving since 2017. That was the year Amazon first entered the NFL ecosystem through a Tri-Cast distribution model alongside NBC, CBS, and NFL Network. In 2021, Amazon solidified its role in the league's media landscape by securing the exclusive national broadcast rights to Thursday Night Football (TNF) - the first-ever all-digital package in NFL history. The NFL’s decision to introduce a game on Black Friday - a day traditionally dominated by retail—was a strategic one. As Hans Schroeder, COO of NFL Media, said: “Thanksgiving is synonymous with football, and we're excited to give our fans another day of NFL action during this holiday weekend.” This move effectively extended the NFL's Thanksgiving football tradition into a multi-day sports celebration. For Amazon, the timing couldn’t have been better. As Jay Marine, Global Head of Sports at Prime Video, explained: “Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday season, and we're thrilled to kick it off with a gift for football fans.” The synergy between a peak consumer shopping day and live sports content created a compelling blend of commerce and entertainment. With this initiative, Amazon further entrenched itself as a major player in sports media. Prime Video was already reaching millions weekly through Thursday Night Football, and Nielsen data from the 2022 season showed significant audience growth - particularly among younger viewers, with a +48% increase in the 18-34 demographic and a +25% rise in adults aged 18-49. The Black Friday game wasn’t just a new broadcast - it was a demonstration of how digital platforms could deliver high-stakes, live sports at scale. Amazon employed its full arsenal of tech-forward features, from X-Ray and Next Gen Stats powered by AWS to dual-language streams and multiple platform availability, ensuring accessibility and interactivity for fans across devices. The Broadcast Team and Production Value The game featured the star-studded TNF broadcast crew, led by legendary announcer Al Michaels, analyst Kirk Herbstreit, and reporter Kaylee Hartung. Their chemistry and professionalism had already been praised during the TNF season, and their involvement added gravitas to the inaugural Black Friday broadcast. Production innovations were also central to the experience. In addition to high-quality visuals and analysis, the broadcast integrated interactive elements designed to enhance viewer engagement - key for a younger, more tech-savvy audience. Commissioner Goodell's Vision Speaking at the NFL’s Fall League Meeting in New York, Commissioner Roger Goodell hinted that this Black Friday game was likely more than a one-time experiment. “We don’t usually do things for one year,” he said. He described Thanksgiving weekend as a full-on “football weekend,” underscoring the NFL’s intent to dominate the holiday sports calendar even further. While no long-term commitment was made publicly at the time, the strong viewer numbers and commercial logic of pairing Black Friday with an exclusive NFL event made it clear that this was likely the beginning of a new tradition. Broader Implications The 2023 Black Friday NFL game exemplifies the future of live sports: digitally streamed, globally accessible, and strategically placed within cultural moments. It also represented a milestone in the NFL’s long-standing dominance over American television. At the time, NFL games accounted for all 34 of the most-watched TV programs since the start of September 2022, with an average of 16.8 million viewers per game. For Amazon, this was not just a sports venture - it was a strategic content play, helping to drive engagement, subscriptions, and cross-platform visibility on one of the year’s most commercially significant days. As both tech and sports continue to evolve, the NFL's Black Friday debut will be remembered as a defining moment—a calculated fusion of tradition, innovation, and market opportunity that reshaped the fan experience and hinted at what’s to come in the rapidly changing landscape of live entertainment.