The rumors are now officially news. Amazon has announced the hire of Kaylee Hartung to work the sidelines for its coverage of Thursday Night Football. The streaming giant also announced that Aqib Talib and Andrew Whitworth will be part of the studio coverage.
Reports of Amazon’s interest in Hartung first surfaced in the spring. While she has spent the last few years as a reporter for CNN and ABC News, Hartung is no stranger to football sidelines, having covered college football for the ESPN family of networks in the past.
“This is an unbelievable opportunity to return to the sidelines and create something new in the sports landscape,” she said in a press release. “Prime Video is bringing together legends in broadcasting and the NFL and it will be a tremendous privilege to work alongside them.”
Talib and Whitworth join a growing studio cast for Amazon. Richard Sherman, Tony Gonzalez, and Charissa Thompson have already been identified as being part of the studio coverage.
Does this mean Amazon is done with its Thursday Night Football plans? Probably not. A variety of reports have connected Pat McAfee and Drew Brees to the streamer for different alternate broadcast options. Marshawn Lynch has also been mentioned for months as a target of Amazon’s desires.
