Last year, the NFL announced Prime Video landed the streaming rights to the league’s inaugural Black Friday game. The game between the Aaron Rogers-led New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins kicks off Nov. 24.
The game between two AFC East division foes will coincide with one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the U.S. Amazon’s Prime Video service will allow non-subscribers to watch the highly anticipated matchup.
Granting access to potentially millions of additional football fans presents an opportunity for viewers to participate in exclusive live shopping deals.
Artificial intelligence is expected to create a seamless experience for fans, who can engage with interactive shopping.
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Last year, Amazon launched a fan-specific store page called “TNF Central” that made “Thursday Night Football”-themed merchandise and other NFL-branded merchandise available for purchase.
Shopping software company AiBUY said the company conducted consumer research ahead of the 2023 NFL season, and the data revealed the majority of sports fans in the U.S. want to engage with a live shopping experience.
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AiBUY’s research also found 44% of sports fans in the U.S. and 55% of Gen Z sports fans would consider buying tickets, merchandise, collectibles, etc. while they livestreamed a game.
The first-ever Black Friday game will likely bring a surge in viewership due to the holiday and the increase in online shopping on the day after Thanksgiving. However, creating a seamless streaming experience for everyone watching remains the top priority.
Amazon has used machine learning systems in an effort to fine-tune technology to better understand “football language.” When fans begin streaming games on Thursdays this season, they will likely notice several new features on the screen.
If a game is coming down to the wire and a team has the ball and is driving down the field to score, graphics may pop up revealing stats about whether a fourth down attempt is recommended. Or the cameras could quickly shift to a wide receiver who is open after the quarterback receives the snap.
“We don’t want to just put math on the screen,” Betsy Riley, senior coordinating producer at Prime Video, said in a statement.
“It’s about using data to tell a deeper story and to bring our fans insights so that they understand the game better. We think doing that lets people understand the chess match that’s unfolding on the field. For us, as a tech company, it’s been really fun to dig into the numbers and to think about ways we can innovate and use tech to tell the story of the game in deeper and more meaningful ways.”
The Jets-Dolphins rivalry dates to 1966. Miami holds the advantage over New York with a 57-56-1 regular-season series record. Kickoff for the historic game is 3 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.
“We’re excited to be the home of the first-ever NFL Black Friday game, and what better way to kick off this new tradition than with a rivalry matchup between the Dolphins and the Jets,” Amazon Vice President of Global Sports Video Marie Donoghue said in a statement.