Prime Video is expanding the ways viewers can follow Thursday Night Football, adding on-screen predictions, decision guidance and highlights to its alternate stream. The features use data to explain what may happen during a play and help fans follow the choices teams make.
Turning player data into live analysis
The new features appear in Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats, a weekly alternate stream that overlays graphics and analysis during plays. Amazon introduced AI tools to Thursday Night Football last year, including X-Ray for live statistics and Rapid Recap, which creates up to 13 two-minute-long highlights.
For the 2023 season, Amazon said it would internally test the additions during a preseason game before making them available when the season begins on September 14. The company’s stated aim is to use data to tell a clearer story about the game, rather than simply place numbers on screen.
That approach shapes several of the features. Defensive Alerts uses a machine-learning neural network to identify players who may rush the quarterback. A red orb highlights those players, drawing attention to a possible blitz before the play unfolds.
The model considers players’ XY coordinate data, how they relate to one another, and their acceleration and direction of movement. It was trained on 35,000 plays, and NFL experts who are former quarterbacks, coaches and offensive linemen help annotate plays.
Showing options as plays develop
Prime Targets highlights a receiver who is open for a pass with a green orb. The feature tracks when a quarterback drops back and looks for a receiver who creates separation from defenders. Amazon previously tested the concept under the name Open Receiver, which tracked players most likely to convert the first down.
These tools give viewers a way to see the developing possibilities within a play, not only its result. The analysis is presented in real time, so the graphics can help fans notice a receiver’s separation or a defense’s movement as the action happens.
Fourth Down Territory focuses on a different kind of decision: whether a team should attempt a fourth-down conversion. The feature shows when analytics indicate a team should try and displays the probability. That can give viewers context for a choice that might otherwise seem surprising, while also offering teams a way to prepare for fourth downs.
Field Goal Target Zones adds multiple target lines to the field. Each line represents the likelihood that a kicker will make a field goal from that point, extending the familiar target-line graphic with more information about the kick’s prospects.
Highlights for live and on-demand viewing
Key Plays is designed for people watching live as well as those who stream after the game. It uses AI and machine learning to provide a rundown of highlights and critical moments, giving viewers a way to catch up on what happened on the field.
Alongside Rapid Recap, the feature reflects Amazon’s effort to make important action easier to find. Rapid Recap creates short highlight segments during a game; Key Plays offers a broader view of notable moments for both live and on-demand viewers.
More ways to watch the game
Prime Video is also set to carry the NFL’s first Black Friday game. On November 24, the Miami Dolphins will play the New York Jets, with kickoff expected at 3 p.m. ET. The game will be free for non-subscribers, and Amazon plans to use the broadcast to promote exclusive shopping deals. The company had not shared further details at the time of the report.
Amazon said it had run traffic projections and scenarios for the event, and a Prime Video live-events director expressed confidence in the streaming experience. That preparation will matter for a game expected to draw viewers over the holiday weekend, though the source did not give a viewership estimate.
HDR video will also become available to all Thursday Night Football viewers this season on HDR-enabled devices. The livestream will upgrade automatically, so subscribers do not need to change their settings. The change adds greater contrast and more vivid colors, while the AI features offer a different kind of enhancement: extra context about the action.