DirecTV, Amazon Finalize Deal to Allow DirecTV to Carry ‘Thursday Night Football’

It’s almost NFL season, and deals are getting done just in time.

During the upcoming NFL season, and for the very first time ever, a streaming service will have exclusive rights to an NFL football package, when Amazon launches Thursday Night Football. The Fortune 500 company and DirecTV have been working behind the scenes to get something in place in time for the NFL season, and now they have reportedly struck a deal. DirecTv will now be able to bring Amazons Thursday night broadcasts to bars, restaurants and other out-of-home venues this season. The deal will kick off with this week’s final preseason game and will continue for all 15 regular season games.

It will also include Amazon’s pregame, halftime and postgame coverage.

Via Sports Business Journal:

This comes as welcome news to many bar and restaurant owners who faced a costly upgrade of their video systems to handle Amazon’s streaming service if they wanted to have access to “TNF” games, including pre-, halftime and postgame coverage. DirecTV sells commercial licenses to more than 300,000 clients, including everything from sports bars and restaurants to hotels, stadium suites, casinos, sports books, prisons and oil rigs. Clients include chain restaurants like Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters, Outback Steakhouse, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Landry’s and Darden Restaurants.

The online behemoth acquired exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football from the National Football League last year under a long-term deal.

Subscribers to Amazon’s Prime Video service will be able to watch the games on smartphones, video-game consoles, and connected TVs.

Now you can scurry over to a Bar or restaurant to enjoy some TNF.

Big win for all!

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