“A very important ingredient in the NFL is contextually relevant creative and being able to harness the passion that football fans have for the sport,” McDevitt said. “So we are partnering with a lot of brands to build custom 15-second, 30-second and even long-form creative that will help them connect in a deeper way with our Thursday Night Football viewers this season.”
To boost its shoppable experiences, the company is rolling out interactive video ads, bringing buttons to the screen that allow consumers to interact with products or offers, with all interactions going to a second-screen experience to keep viewers in the game.
The new offering could even provide opportunities beyond Thursday Night Football, with interactive experiences likely hitting Amazon’s first Black Friday NFL game later this year.
“It’s a big cultural moment. We want to make sure that we’re delivering the best possible football product but also honoring what Black Friday is in terms of the holiday shopping, getting into the holiday spirit and time with family,” McDevitt said. “A lot of brands will seek to build unique creative with us for that day and also connect content to commerce.”
Fans can see the new ad tech, and even AI-powered viewer enhancements, on Amazon’s second season of Thursday Night Football, which breaks the huddle on Prime Video at 7 p.m. tonight.