Amazon’s latest Thursday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos saw the largest year-over-year gain in viewership — a boost likely helped by the Taylor Swift effect.
The TNF broadcast on Prime Video averaged 13.8 million viewers, up 57% over a year ago’s Commanders vs. Bears game. It’s the third most-watched TNF game ever on Prime Video, behind the Week 2 and Week 3 games.
The figures underscore increasing embrace of live sports on streaming service — a concept that was practically unheard of just a few years ago. The program walloped the closest competitor, with more than double the audience of the National League Division Series game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves on TBS and TruTV.
Likely giving this game a boost was the anticipated interest in Taylor Swift’s attendance. She once again attended the Chiefs game to support tight end Travis Kelce, sitting next to Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce. In the last game, she was joined by mega celebrities like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, who are shooting Deadpool 3 together, giving her appearance more of a mainstream draw beyond typical football fans.
But Amazon noted that the company has enjoyed double-digit increases in viewership for five consecutive weeks, a show of momentum for its streaming service.
Amazon isn’t the only streaming service to dabble in live sports, with Apple TV offering Major League Soccer, a hot property thanks to the addition of Lionel Messi, and YouTube TV offering NFL’s Sunday Ticket. Max just launched its own sports package, running the same games found on TBS, TNT and TruTV.