Amazon Prime Video announced today that retired NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be joining its NFL pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage team this season as the streaming service presents exclusive coverage of “Thursday Night Football.” Fitzpatrick, who played in the NFL for 17 seasons, joins Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and Richard Sherman on the streamer’s wraparound coverage for every “TNF” game.
“Although my playing career has come to an end, my love for football has not,” said Fitzpatrick. “I’m excited to start this new chapter with ‘Thursday Night Football’ and looking forward to sharing my unique experiences and perspectives with football fans.”
Fitzpatrick joins an expanding roster of Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” on-air talent that also includes legendary play-by-play announcer Al Michaels and analyst Kirk Herbstreit. Fred Gaudelli, producer of seven Super Bowls and a recent inductee into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, will serve as the executive producer of “Thursday Night Football’s” game coverage.
“One of the great characters in the league, Ryan has been a fan favorite and a beloved teammate everywhere he’s gone over the last 17 seasons,” said Jared Stacy, Prime Video’s director of Global Live Sports Production. “We’re thrilled to now have him on our ‘Thursday Night Football’ team and know our viewers will love seeing his sense of humor and intelligence on display every week.”
Fitzpatrick’s signing comes as the competition for NFL broadcasting talent has led to a boom in announcer salaries. In early 2020, Tony Romo agreed to a 10-year contract with CBS worth $17.5 million per season. Earlier this year, Troy Aikman and Joe Buck opted to exit Fox Sports to man the booth for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” in a deal estimated to be worth $30 million annually for the pair. In May, Tom Brady agreed to join Fox Sports when his playing days are over in a historic 10-year pact worth $375 million.
Prime Video previously simulcast “Thursday Night Football” before Amazon agreed to pay the NFL $1 billion per year to exclusively stream the NFL games in the first deal of its kind. The deal, which will see the streamer carry 15 games every season beginning this year, runs for 11 seasons.
Below is the streamer’s full upcoming “Thursday Night Football” schedule this season:
Week 2 – Sept. 15: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO)
Week 3 – Sept. 22: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, OH)
Week 4 – Sept. 29: Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals (Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH)
Week 5 – Oct. 6: Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO)
Week 6 – Oct. 13: Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears (Soldier Field, Chicago, IL)
Week 7 – Oct. 20: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ)
Week 8 – Oct. 27: Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL)
Week 9 – Nov. 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans (NRG Stadium, Houston, TX)
Week 10 – Nov. 10: Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC)
Week 11 – Nov. 17: Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers (Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI)
Week 13 – Dec. 1: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA)
Week 14 – Dec. 8: Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams (SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA)
Week 15 – Dec. 15: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (Lumen Field, Seattle, WA)
Week 16 – Dec. 22: Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ)
Week 17 – Dec. 29: Dallas Cowboys at Tennessee Titans (Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN)