History of Thursday Night Football in Timeline

Thursday Night Football is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time.

1939: Sideline camera standard for NFL telecasts

Since 1939, the standard camera angle for NFL telecasts had been the sideline camera.

1961: Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961

In 1961, the Sports Broadcasting Act was written, which contains specific language that prohibits televising NFL games in most markets on Friday nights and all day on Saturdays between the second week of September and the second week of December, to protect high school and college football.

1978: ABC Televises Thursday Night Games

From 1978 to 1986, ABC televised occasional Thursday night games as part of its Monday Night Football package.

1986: ABC Televises Thursday Night Games

From 1978 to 1986, ABC televised occasional Thursday night games as part of its Monday Night Football package.

2005: NFL Negotiates New TV Contracts

In 2005, the NFL negotiated new television contracts. Comcast-owned OLN offered $450 million for an eight-year contract to carry NFL prime time games, but NFL Network decided to air the games itself.

2005: CBS's Bid Considered Most Attractive

The NFL considered CBS's bid to be the most attractive for Thursday Night Football in 2014, owing to CBS's overall ratings stature (CBS had been the highest-rated broadcast network in the United States since the 2005-06 television season), a commitment to aggressively promote the Thursday games across its properties, and its plans to utilize CBS Sports' top NFL talent and production staff across all of the games in the package to ensure a major improvement in quality over the previous, in-house productions.

November 23, 2006: Thursday Night Football Debut

On November 23, 2006, Thursday Night Football debuted as part of NFL Network's Run to the Playoffs package. It consisted of eight total games broadcast on Thursday and Saturday nights.

2006: Potential Return of NFL to ABC

In January 2014, reports indicated that ESPN planned to place the games on ABC in the event it won the rights to sub-license a package of up to eight Thursday Night Football games for the 2014 season, bringing the NFL back to ABC for the first time since Super Bowl XL and the move of Monday Night Football to ESPN in 2006.

2007: Thursday/Saturday Night Football Format

In 2007, each of the game broadcasts were titled either Thursday Night Football or Saturday Night Football, depending on the night on which it aired.

2007: Controversy over NFL Network Availability

In 2007, issues regarding the relative unavailability of NFL Network were magnified when a game between the New England Patriots and New York Giants was simulcast nationally on CBS and NBC, in addition to NFL Network. The Patriots defeated the Giants to close out a perfect regular season.

2008: NFL Network Adjusts Schedule

In 2008, NFL Network eliminated all but one of the Saturday night games and started their Thursday night package three weeks earlier. This was done to accommodate the earlier schedule and the league's antitrust exemption.

2009: Rihanna's Song Pulled from Broadcasts

In the wake of the controversy surrounding Ravens player Ray Rice changes were made to pre-game coverage on the first game in order to accommodate additional interviews and discussion related to the incident. Among these changes were the removal of an introductory segment featuring Rihanna (who was similarly assaulted by fellow performer Chris Brown in 2009) performing her song "Run This Town". Following complaints by Rihanna on Twitter regarding the removal, the song was pulled entirely from future broadcasts.

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2011: Thanksgiving Primetime Game Part of TNF

From 2006 until 2011, the Thanksgiving primetime game was part of the Thursday Night Football package.

2012: Thanksgiving Game Moved to NBC

As part of new media contracts taking effect in the 2012 season, the Thanksgiving primetime game was moved from NFL Network to NBC's Sunday Night Football package.

2012: TNF Package Expansion

During Super Bowl week in 2012, it was announced that the Thursday Night Football package would expand from eight to 13 games and air on NFL Network.

2012: Spanish-Language Broadcast Added

For the 2012 season, a Spanish-language broadcast was added as a second audio program for Thursday Night Football.

2012: TNF Package Begins During Second Week

Since 2012, the Thursday Night Football package has begun during the second week of the NFL season.

2012: Thursday Night Football hiatus during Thanksgiving week since 2012

Thursday Night Football had gone on hiatus during Thanksgiving week since 2012, as the Thanksgiving primetime game had been reassigned to the Sunday Night Football package.

January 2014: NFL Plans to Sub-license TNF Games

In January 2014, it was reported that the NFL was planning to sub-license a package of up to eight Thursday Night Football games to another broadcaster for the 2014 season.

February 5, 2014: CBS Acquires Partial Rights to TNF

On February 5, 2014, the NFL announced that CBS had acquired the partial rights to TNF for the 2014 season. All telecasts were produced by CBS Sports, with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms as announcers.

April 2014: Games Scheduled for TNF

In April 2014, CBS and the NFL unveiled the games scheduled for Thursday Night Football; CBS's slate of games featured a number of major divisional rivalries.

September 11, 2014: TNF Opening Game Steelers vs Ravens

The opening game on September 11, 2014, for Thursday Night Football featured the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens.

October 6, 2014: Arian Foster criticizes short rest period

On October 6, 2014, Arian Foster of the Houston Texans criticized the NFL for prioritizing player safety regarding concussions while simultaneously scheduling Thursday night games with only three days' rest, which he considered dangerous.

2014: NFL Shifts TNF Package Model

In 2014, the NFL shifted the Thursday Night Football package to a new model to increase its prominence. CBS became the first rightsholder, airing nine games on broadcast television and producing the rest for NFL Network.

January 18, 2015: CBS and NFL Network Extend Arrangement

On January 18, 2015, CBS and NFL Network extended their agreement for a second season of Thursday Night Football.

January 29, 2015: NFL releases health and safety report on injuries

On January 29, 2015, the NFL released its health and safety report, stating that an average of 4.8 injuries occurred during Thursday games compared to 6.9 injuries per game on Sundays and Mondays.

November 2015: NFL plans long-term TNF contract negotiations

In November 2015, The Hollywood Reporter indicated that the NFL was planning negotiations for a long-term Thursday Night Football (TNF) contract due to the success under CBS. CBS, Fox, NBC, and Turner Sports showed interest, and the deal might include the sale of a stake in the NFL Network.

December 16, 2015: NFL shops TNF package as a one-year deal

On December 16, 2015, the NFL was reportedly shopping the Thursday Night Football (TNF) package as a one-year deal, similar to the CBS arrangement, with an option for a second year. Bidders were asked to outline goals for growing the NFL Network. The league also considered selling non-exclusive digital rights to companies like Amazon.com, Apple Inc., Google, or Yahoo!.

January 2016: NFL considers splitting TNF package

In January 2016, reports suggested the NFL might split the Thursday Night Football (TNF) package across multiple broadcasters, potentially expanding it to 17 games. ESPN and Turner Sports reportedly showed no interest due to the package's short-term nature, while Fox aimed to outbid CBS.

February 1, 2016: NFL announces TNF partnership with CBS, NBC, and NFL Network

On February 1, 2016, the NFL announced that Thursday Night Football (TNF) would be shared between CBS, NBC, and NFL Network for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. CBS and NBC would each air five games, while NFL Network would exclusively broadcast eight games. All games would be simulcast on NFL Network.

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April 5, 2016: Twitter acquires digital streaming rights to TNF

On April 5, 2016, Twitter acquired non-exclusive worldwide digital streaming rights to the ten broadcast television Thursday Night Football (TNF) games. The collaboration included streaming content on Twitter's Periscope service, offering behind-the-scenes access. This gave NBC the distinction of holding two primetime NFL packages.

November 3, 2016: First NBC Sports-produced TNF game airs on NFL Network

On November 3, 2016, the first Thursday Night Football (TNF) game produced by NBC Sports was broadcast exclusively on NFL Network. Later that month, the first game simulcast nationally on NBC aired on November 17.

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November 28, 2016: Report of NFL considering ending the franchise

On November 28, 2016, a report circulated that the league was considering ending the Thursday Night Football franchise, although the NFL denied this rumor.

December 1, 2016: Highest Rated TNF game of the season

On December 1, 2016, the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings became the highest-rated Thursday Night Football game of the season.

December 22, 2016: Mike Tirico calls TNF game alongside Cris Collinsworth

On December 22, 2016, Mike Tirico called a Thursday Night Football game alongside Cris Collinsworth, as Al Michaels took a week's rest before the end of the season.

2016: All Teams Play a Thursday Game

For the four seasons from 2012 to 2016, all 32 teams played a Thursday game following a Sunday game that guarantees each team a nationally televised game.

2016: NBC Added as Rightsholder

In 2016, NBC was added as a second rightsholder alongside CBS, with each network airing five Thursday Night Football games on broadcast television.

2016: Rogers Media blocks Twitter's TNF game streams in Canada

In 2016, Rogers Media, which owned television rights to the TNF package in Canada, successfully forced Twitter to block the game streams in that country. This decision overrode the NFL's intention for the free stream to be global. Over-the-top television providers like PlayStation Vue and Sling TV were also required to black out the simulcast of the games on NFL Network.

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2016: Special Editions of TNF

In 2016, any games that are not played on Thursday (such as two Christmas weekend games and an NFL International Series game) have since been branded as "special editions" of Thursday Night Football, and later Thursday Night Special or NFL Network Special.

2016: NFL Sub-licenses Digital Streaming Rights to Twitter

In 2016, the NFL began sub-licensing digital streaming rights to the broadcast television portion of the Thursday Night Football package to third-parties, beginning with Twitter.

April 4, 2017: Amazon.com acquires non-exclusive streaming rights to TNF

On April 4, 2017, Amazon.com acquired non-exclusive streaming rights to the ten broadcast television Thursday Night Football (TNF) games for the 2017 season through Amazon Prime Video for $50 million. The streams were exclusive to paid Prime subscribers and included special features like alternate feeds and a pre-show with presentations of NFL merchandise available on Amazon.

May 31, 2017: Mike Tirico replaces Al Michaels full-time

On May 31, 2017, it was announced that Mike Tirico would replace Al Michaels full-time for NBC's Thursday Night Football games.

November 9, 2017: Richard Sherman's season ends with Achilles rupture

On November 9, 2017, Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals, ending his season.

November 16, 2017: First NFL broadcast to intentionally use Skycam as primary camera angle

On November 16, 2017, the telecast between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans became the first NFL broadcast to intentionally use the Skycam as its primary camera angle, marking a departure from the traditional sideline camera used since 1939. NBC Sports experimented with this strategy after positive reactions to using Skycam-only presentations in earlier games.

2017: Amazon Acquires Streaming Rights

In 2017, Amazon acquired the digital streaming rights to the broadcast television portion of Thursday Night Football, initially on Prime Video and later on Twitch.

2017: Continuation of TNF partnership between CBS, NBC, and NFL Network

In 2017, CBS, NBC, and NFL Network continued their partnership to broadcast Thursday Night Football (TNF). This arrangement, established on February 1, 2016, involved CBS and NBC each airing five games, while NFL Network exclusively broadcast eight games, ensuring broad television coverage.

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2017: NBC retains opening theme music for TNF telecasts

In 2017, NBC retained the reworked version of Pentatonix's song "Sing" ("Weekend Go") and the instrumental theme music "Can't Hold Us Down" by Jimmy Greco, performed by members of the orchestra from the Broadway musical Hamilton, as the opening theme music for its Thursday Night Football (TNF) telecasts.

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2017: Amazon Prime streams require subscription

In 2017, games streamed through Amazon Prime required a subscription.

2017: NFL International Series Branded as NFL Network Specials

In 2017, select games from the NFL International Series were branded as NFL Network Specials.

2017: NFL Continues Arrangement with CBS and NBC

In 2017, the NFL continued with a similar arrangement, with CBS and NBC as rightsholders for Thursday Night Football.

January 2018: ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports bid for TNF package

In early January 2018, Bloomberg reported that ABC/ESPN and Fox Sports had both made bids for the next Thursday Night Football (TNF) package. CBS and NBC were also considering renewing their existing contracts but requested lower rights fees due to declining viewership of the NFL.

January 30, 2018: Fox acquires broadcast television rights to TNF

On January 30, 2018, the NFL officially announced that Fox had acquired the broadcast television rights to the Thursday Night Football (TNF) package under a five-year deal from 2018 through 2022. Fox would air eleven games per season in simulcast with NFL Network. Fox deal was terminated a season early in 2021.

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September 20, 2018: Jets vs. Browns sets NFL Network record

On September 20, 2018, the game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, featuring Baker Mayfield's debut and the Browns ending their losing streak, achieved the highest-rated NFL Network-exclusive broadcast in Thursday Night Football history, with a 5.2 household rating and over 8 million viewers.

2018: Amazon renews digital rights for TNF, offers free coverage on Twitch

In 2018, Amazon renewed its digital rights for Thursday Night Football (TNF). Unlike 2017, when games required an Amazon Prime subscription, Amazon also carried game coverage for free on its live streaming platform Twitch.

2018: TNF Kickoff Time Adjustment

In 2018, Thursday Night Football's kickoff time was adjusted to 8:25 Eastern Time.

2018: Rights Shift to Fox

In 2018, the rights for Thursday Night Football shifted to Fox, through the 2022 season.

September 26, 2019: Fox produces all TNF games in 1080p upscaled to 4K

For 2019, starting with its season premiere on September 26, 2019, Fox announced that it would produce all of its Thursday Night Football (TNF) games in 1080p upscaled to 4K with hybrid log–gamma (HLG) high-dynamic-range color. The telecasts were distributed via the Fox Sports app, Prime Video, and to participating television providers.

October 3, 2019: NFL Network simulcast blacked out for Dish Network subscribers

Due to a carriage dispute between Dish Network and Fox, Fox pushed NFL Network to black out its simulcast of the October 3, 2019 game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks for Dish Network subscribers. NFL Network ultimately forewent the simulcast entirely, making the game exclusive to Fox.

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October 6, 2019: Fox and Dish agree to multi-year carriage agreement

On October 6, 2019, Fox and Dish agreed to a multi-year carriage agreement, resolving the dispute that led to the blackout of the NFL Network simulcast.

2019: Amazon continues free TNF coverage on Twitch

In 2019, Amazon continued to offer free Thursday Night Football (TNF) coverage on its live streaming platform Twitch, alongside the main Fox feed. The Amazon Prime streams offered an alternate commentary feed featuring Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer, the first all-female commentary team in NFL history.

April 29, 2020: Amazon renews digital rights through 2022

On April 29, 2020, Amazon renewed its digital rights through the 2022 season, maintaining the TNF simulcasts and digital content, and adding exclusive international rights to one late-season game per-season outside of the package. Amazon introduced a "Scout's Feed" and "NFL Next Live" on Twitch.

2020: All Teams Play a Thursday Game

In 2020 and 2021 all 32 teams played a Thursday game following a Sunday game that guarantees each team a nationally televised game.

March 2021: Amazon acquires exclusive rights to TNF from 2023 through 2033

In March 2021, Amazon acquired exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football (TNF) as part of the next round of NFL broadcasting agreements from 2023 through 2033. The current agreement was opted out of, meaning Amazon's rights would begin in the 2022 NFL season.

2021: All Teams Play a Thursday Game

In 2020 and 2021 all 32 teams played a Thursday game following a Sunday game that guarantees each team a nationally televised game.

2021: Amazon Acquires Exclusive Rights to TNF

In 2021, it was announced that Amazon had acquired the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football beginning in the 2023 season.

2021: Fox's TNF deal terminated early

In 2021, the Fox deal was terminated a season early.

2021: Comparison to 2021 season viewership

The numbers were in line with the average numbers that were garnered by Fox's Thursday Night Football broadcasts in the 2021 season, and an increase of five million over that year's season opener.

July 2022: Amazon hires Kaylee Hartung

In July 2022, Amazon hired Kaylee Hartung, a former ESPN and ABC News reporter, as its sideline reporter for Thursday Night Football.

August 25, 2022: Amazon carries a preseason game

On August 25, 2022, Amazon carried a preseason game featuring the San Francisco 49ers at the Houston Texans.

September 15, 2022: Amazon airs first regular season game

On September 15, 2022, Amazon aired the first regular season game featuring the Los Angeles Chargers at the Kansas City Chiefs. Nielsen reported an average of 13 million viewers across all measured platforms.

September 29, 2022: Tua Tagovailoa injury prompts concussion protocol scrutiny

On September 29, 2022, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained head and neck injuries after a sack, displaying a fencing response and being stretchered off the field. This occurred shortly after a previous head injury in the prior game, leading to scrutiny of the NFL's concussion policy.

October 6, 2022: Criticism of TNF quality after Colts vs. Broncos game

On October 6, 2022, the Thursday Night Football game between the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos received widespread criticism due to poor gameplay, including numerous punts and interceptions, and zero touchdowns scored. Al Michaels, TNF play-by-play announcer, even commented on the difficulty of promoting such games, referencing the Colts-Broncos game as "dreadful."

October 18, 2022: NFL announces Friday afternoon game after Thanksgiving

On October 18, 2022, the NFL announced that Thursday Night Football would add a Friday afternoon game on the Friday after Thanksgiving beginning in 2023. This game will compete with college football games and leverage holiday shoppers for "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday" promotions.

2022: Amazon's digital rights renewal through 2022

In 2022, Amazon's digital rights, which were renewed on April 29, 2020, through the 2022 season, are set to expire. These rights maintained the simulcasts of TNF and digital content and added exclusive international rights to one late-season game per season outside of the package.

2022: Amazon's TNF rights begin in 2022

In 2022, Amazon's exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football (TNF) begin, due to the final year of the previous agreement being opted out of.

2022: Fox's five-year TNF deal concludes

In 2022, Fox's five-year deal to air eleven Thursday Night Football (TNF) games per season, simulcast with NFL Network, was set to conclude.

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2022: Amazon TNF Coverage Launch

In 2022, NFL Network and Fox ceded the final season of the existing contract to Amazon, resulting in its Thursday Night Football coverage launching. Games are also streamed for free on Twitch and aired on local broadcast television stations.

2022: TNF Kickoff Time Adjustment

In 2022, Thursday Night Football's kickoff time was adjusted to 8:15 Eastern Time.

2022: Fox Rights End

In 2022, the rights for Thursday Night Football ended for Fox.

January 2023: Kaylee Hartung joins NBC News

In January 2023, Kaylee Hartung joined NBC News' The Today Show as a national correspondent after being hired as a sideline reporter for Amazon in July 2022.

March 28, 2023: Changes to Thursday Night Football Scheduling

On March 28, 2023, the NFL implemented changes to Thursday Night Football scheduling in response to Amazon's demands. Teams are not required to play on Thursday following a Sunday game, and the league approved flexing Sunday games to Thursday with 28 days' notice, later reduced to 21 days starting in 2025.

2023: Addition of Friday afternoon game after Thanksgiving

Beginning in 2023, Thursday Night Football will add a Friday afternoon game on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

2023: Amazon's Exclusive TNF Rights

Beginning in the 2023 season, Amazon will have exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football, marking the first time that the NFL had sold one of its main television packages to a digital media company.