Al Michaels has been in negotiations with Amazon to serve as the play-by-play announcer for “Thursday Night Football” next season, and the two sides have finally reached an agreement.
Michaels is expected to sign a contract with Amazon, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports. The deal will be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of what Joe Buck recently got from ESPN, which is reported to be $75 million over five seasons.
Michaels previously served as the lead announcer for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” from 2006 through 2021. His salary with the network was in the $6 million range, so he will be getting a massive raise at Amazon.
Amazon will become the exclusive provider of “Thursday Night Football” beginning in the 2022 season. The tech giant has already signed longtime ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit to serve as its NFL analyst.
There was some talk that Michaels could replace Buck after Buck left FOX to join Troy Aikman at ESPN. Buck and Aikman will be the broadcasting duo for “Monday Night Football” beginning next season.
Michaels, 77, is one of the greatest announcers of all time. Many people will be unhappy to see him with a streaming service rather than a network TV.
Photo: Aug 26, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; Network television commentator Al Michaels before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
