As Amazon’s Prime Video gears up for its second year as the exclusive rights holder to NFL’s Thursday Night Football (TNF), the streaming service hopes to give fans a more enhanced viewing experience with a slew of new AI-driven features.
During a demo with Prime Video executives, TechCrunch learned about the AI elements coming to TNF this season, as well as the first Black Friday NFL game and when viewers can expect HDR video quality.
AI is changing how sports content is consumed
If we asked someone about sports broadcasting a few years ago, we would have bet artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) would be the last thing on their mind. However, the use of AI and ML models in sports has drastically altered how hardcore fans watch games, allowing them to dive deeper into the analytics.“We don’t want to just put math on the screen,” Betsy Riley, senior coordinating producer at Prime Video, told us. “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.”
Amazon introduced AI to TNF last year, including X-Ray, which gives fans real-time access to live statistics and data; Rapid Recap, which generates up to 13 two-minute-long highlights for viewers to catch up on plays during a game and more. And after winning its first Sports Emmy award in May, it’s safe to say the tech behemoth isn’t easing up on the gas.
All the new AI features will live within Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats — TNF’s weekly alternate stream that features various graphic overlays on the screen during plays so fans can see stats and analysis in real time.Note that Amazon will internally test the features during tonight’s preseason game at 8 p.m. ET. However, fans won’t be able to experience them just yet. The features roll out on September 14, when the 2023 season begins. (Fans can find the complete TNF schedule on Amazon’s website).
