On Thursday nights, for NFL fans, there’s only one place to turn for the game: Amazon. Love it or hate it, Amazon's Thursday Night Football (TNF) broadcasts have revolutionized the NFL viewing experience, driving higher viewership and a better viewing experience for fans. This year, TNF is averaging 13.6 million viewers per week, and while fans may have been hesitant when the program was first announced, they are tuning in now.
TNF has been so successful, Amazon is looking to create a similar, exclusive night of NBA streaming in 2025 and beyond, according to Front Office Sports. One major reason the NBA is potentially interested in a similar media partnership is the ability of Amazon to attract a younger demographic - one that is seven years younger than the NFLs legacy partners.
TNF’s reach has expanded far beyond the NFL and NBA and even sports fans. For marketers and advertisers, TNF has created advertising opportunities to engage a more diverse audience. The most striking characteristic? Their youth. Advertisers can capitalize on this demographic difference to connect with a more youthful and digitally-savvy audience.
A recent change in TNF viewership is an increase of female viewership, which has risen 6%. The increase is a testament to the unique appeal of TNF. A significant contributor to the rise in female viewership is Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. His magnetic personality, combined with his high-profile relationship with global music sensation Taylor Swift, has made TNF more appealing to a wider audience. The surge in female viewership presents a fresh opportunity for brands to connect with and expand their reach within this demographic in a unique and engaging way.
Beyond a more diverse audience, TNF viewers exhibit a greater level of engagement with advertisements compared to primetime NFL linear viewers, with a 21% higher likelihood of searching for advertised brands. This heightened engagement underscores the effectiveness of advertising during TNF broadcasts, and makes it a compelling reason for brands to add the network to their media strategy.
Moreover, TNF offers incremental reach when compared to traditional networks such as ESPN, NBC, Fox, and CBS. Advertisers can leverage Amazon's extensive audience data to precisely target and engage the right viewers during TNF broadcasts. TNF has also incorporated Audience-Based Creatives, which not only enable you to target relevant audiences but also serve the most appropriate creative to that audience.
One of the most compelling aspects of advertising on TNF via Amazon is the ability to retarget viewers with display ads on their phones or computers when they are more likely to be actively shopping and converting. With the larger population watching TNF, the retargeting pool is quite large, maximizing a brands exposure not only through TNF itself, but also through the retargeting ads. This makes TNF and the retargeting ads a potent tool for advertisers seeking to maximize their advertising return on investment.
It's not too late to get a spot in TNF for the 2023 NFL season. Brands can collaborate with Amazon to create a tailor-made TNF advertising plan that suits their unique requirements. Amazon offers the flexibility to construct a plan based on factors such as budget, flight weeks, preferred game matchups, and ad placement, ensuring that advertisers can reach their target audience effectively.
