Albert Breer, lead National Football League insider for Sports Illustrated, is reportedly in advanced talks to join Thursday Night Football coverage from Amazon’s Prime Video as an editorial consultant and on-air contributor. Sources have told Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post that the deal has not currently been finalized. The editorial consultant role had previously been held by longtime ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen, who died earlier in the year at the age of 72 after battling throat cancer.
Breer will reportedly remain at Sports Illustrated in addition to the role with Amazon if the deal ends up being finalized. Since 2018, he has been the author of the weekly “Monday Morning Quarterback” column after Peter King departed to join NBC Sports. The senior writer previously worked for The Sporting News, The Boston Globe and NFL Network, displaying his multiplatform expertise and aptitudes.
Prime Video’s presentation of Thursday Night Football garnered a 24% year-over-year increase in viewership during the 2023 NFL season. The broadcast retained its team of play-by-play announcer Al Michaels, color commentator Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporter Kaylee Hartung in its second season, which included an exclusive presentation of an NFL game on Black Friday. Additionally, the platform aired its studio show before and after games with host Charissa Thompson and analysts Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andrew Whitworth, Tony Gonzalez and Richard Sherman. Amazon will reportedly present a broadcast of an exclusive playoff game for the upcoming season, becoming the second streaming service to enact in such after Peacock experienced success in the venture last year.
Amazon recently landed broadcasting rights for the National Basketball Association in an 11-year deal reportedly worth $1.8 billion annually starting in the 2025-26 season. Outside of the NFL and NBA, the platform also has broadcasting rights for the WNBA, select New York Yankees regional broadcasts, Overtime Elite, the National Women’s Soccer League and Premier Boxing Champions.
