This past season, the Week 16 broadcast between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals was exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, and the experience received mixed reviews. It was also made available for free on Twitch, giving viewers an additional option in finding a way to watch the game. However, those were the only options for fans outside the Bay Area, where a local broadcast was allowed.
While some innovations, like the ability to switch between announcing teams, were welcome additions, some fans complained about quality issues, and others noticed the lack of a rewind or pause feature. That meant if you missed a play, you were out of luck.
The Sports Business Journal also reported that Thursday Night Football would move from Fox to Amazon Prime Video and NFL Network. While that gives some viewers an alternative — NFL Network — to the streaming platform, The Streamable reports that only "a select number of games" would air on the league's official broadcast channel.
Amazon Prime Video was already streaming Thursday Night Football games as a simulcast partner. An exclusive deal would take Fox and any broadcast network other than NFL Network out of the picture. According to the New York Post, if Amazon wins the exclusive rights, it will likely hire a separate production team.
The NFL continues its broadcast rights negotiations, which will help shape this year's salary cap and future salary caps.
More San Francisco 49ers News
-
49ers re-sign kicker Eddy Piñeiro to multi-year deal
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the San Francisco 49ers have re-signed kicker Eddy Piñeiro, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, to a four-year, $17 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. "Pineiro is now off the market and will not become a... -
49ers NFL Combine Watch: Offensive Line Risers and Fallers Shake Up Draft Boards
Day 4 of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine belonged to the big men in the trenches, and several offensive linemen used the spotlight to shift their draft stock dramatically. For teams like the San Francisco 49ers — who continue searching for long-term stability along the... -
49ers draft needs breakdown: Ranking San Francisco's biggest 2026 priorities
My family knows that once the season ends, I start looking toward the NFL draft. Correction: If the San Francisco 49ers are in the playoff hunt and beyond, I think of the season first, but even in October, I am also thinking about the draft. I am not a former player or draft... -
49ers expected to target Super Bowl-winning cornerback in free agency
Speculation surrounding the San Francisco 49ers' secondary intensified at the NFL Scouting Combine after Dan Graziano and Ben Solak of ESPN reported that the team could explore a trade involving starting cornerback Renardo Green. Graziano estimated there is an 80% chance the...