The 2022 Thursday Night Football schedule is set. Amazon Prime earned exclusive streaming and broadcasting rights with a huge contract.
Its regular-season slate starts Week 2 with an AFC West divisional matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. Below, we provide you with FAQ regarding the new Thursday Night Football package and what it means for the consumer.
Related: Full 2022 NFL schedule
What is Thursday Night Football?
Since its inception as a late-season slate back in 2006, TNF has played a huge role in NFL seasons. Back in 2006, there were only five games during the week with another three on Saturday. They were originally a part of the NFL Network’s “Run to the Playoffs” package.
Thursday Night Football made its debut on November 23, 2006, with a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos on Thanksgiving.
In 2008, the NFL eliminated its Saturday Night package and added more in-week games starting three weeks earlier.
Related: Top 10 NFL games for 2022
In 2014, the NFL opted to license a package to CBS Sports consisting of eight games. The games were simulcast on NFL Network.
Back in February of 2016, the NFL announced that Thursday Night Football would be split between CBS, NBC and the NFL Network for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. This package consisted of 10 games instead of the eight under previous TV contracts.
From 2018-21, Fox and Amazon Prime shared rights to TNF. Fox would air 11 games per season. Fox paid $60 million per broadcast to the NFL before Amazon Prime earned exclusive rights for the 2022 season.
When is Thursday Night Football on?
For the 2022 NFL season, TNF will kick off at at 8:20 PM ET
Where is Thursday Night Football on?
Amazon Prime earned exclusive rights to TNF in a contract with the NFL ahead of the 2022 season. You will need to sign up for the streaming service in order to enjoy the mid-week game as the NFL Network will not simulcast the games. Those in local markets will be able to watch TNF without signing up for Amazon Prime. Check your local listings when it comes to that.
Why is Thursday Night Football only on Amazon Prime?
Well, it’s pretty simple. Money. Money. More money. Amazon will pay the NFL and its teams $1 billion annually throughout the duration of the 11-year contract. This just goes to show us how popular both the NFL and streaming services have become.
How much does Thursday Night Football cost now?
As noted above, you’ll have to sign up for Amazon. If you’re an avid online shopper, signing up for a Prime membership will give you access to the streaming service. If you are against signing up for that perk, here’s a handy guide to create your Prime account.
- Go to Prime Video
- Click on the “sign-in” tab in the top right corner
- Then hit “create your account”From there you will be prompted to create a name, password, and set up an email for the account
- Then follow the instructions for setting up your membership type and how you want to be billed
Amazon Prime itself costs $14.99 on a per-month basis or $139.00 over a calendar year if you pay the lump sum up front. That’s roughly a $50 savings. There’s no additional packages needed. This means once you sign up for Amazon Prime, you’ll be able to watch the games.
Thursday Night Football preseason game: San Francisco 49ers @ Houston Texans
Trey Lance will lead his 49ers into Houston to take on Davis Mills and the Texans in the opening edition of “Thursday Night Football” on Aug. 25. Practice will make perfect for both teams as well as the new broadcast three weeks until the regular season gets going on the streaming service.
Thursday Night Football Week 2: Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Thursday Night Football Week 3: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
Thursday Night Football Week 4: Miami Dolphins @ Cincinnati Bengals
Thursday Night Football Week 5: Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
Thursday Night Football Week 6: Washington Commanders @ Chicago Bears
| Date | Home | Away | Time (ET) | Broadcast |
| Oct. 13 | Bears | Commanders | 8:20 PM | Amazon Prime |
Thursday Night Football Week 7: New Orleans Saints @ Arizona Cardinals
Thursday Night Football Week 8: Baltimore Ravens @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Date | Home | Away | Time (ET) | Broadcast |
| Oct. 27 | Buccaneers | Ravens | 8:20 PM | Amazon Prime |
Thursday Night Football Week 9: Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans
Thursday Night Football Week 10: Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
Thursday Night Football Week 11: Tennessee Titans @ Green Bay Packers
Thursday Night Football Week 12: Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
Thursday Night Football Week 13: Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams
Thursday Night Football Week 14: San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
Thursday Night Football Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets
Thursday Night Football Week 16: Dallas Cowboys @ Tennessee Titans
Ranking all 15 Thursday Night Football Games
- Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
- Baltimore Ravens @ Tampa Bay Buccanees
- Las Vegas Raiders @ Los Angeles Rams
- Dallas Cowboys @ Tennessee Titans
- Tennessee Titans @ Green Bay Packers
- Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
- Miami Dolphins @ Cincinnati Bengals
- Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos
- San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
- Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
- Philadelphia Eagles @ Houston Texans
- New Orleans Saints @ Arizona Cardinals
- Jacksonville Jaguars @ New York Jets
- Washington Commanders @ Chicago Bears
- Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers
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This article was originally published on Sportsnaut.com and is republished here with permission.
