Amazon unveils its logo for ‘Thursday Night Football’ on Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled the logo for its iteration of “Thursday Night Football,” designed by Pentagram. 

The logo design continues a longstanding tradition of using shield-like imagery for sports logos for broadcast TV graphics packages (though it’s not a  hard rule) — though this takes on a flatter look as opposed to the heavily glassy and metallic looks favored by other networks. 

In this case, the logo is a simple shape with mostly gently curving lines. At the top, a smaller segment on the left, typically done in darker blue, features the NFL logo, while a standalone Prime Video logo appears in a lighter blue and wider segment to the right – complete with its trademark “smile.”

Those gentler curves allow the design to take on the suggestion of a vertical football shape (albeit one with its top third chopped off) as well as the curved of the brand’s iconic smile.

The two top segments are divided by an angled line that matches the italic-style typeface below, which spells out the name in full.

The “F” and last “L” in “Football” both extended outside of the border of the shield. 

So far, the new logo isn’t impressing many people.

Initial animation and key art released showcase animations that center on the shield shape along filled with animated typography and outline elements as well as hashmarks and “X” and “O” accents, references to the field markings and players on play charts, respectively.

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welcome to the new era of Thursday Night Football#TNFonPrime pic.twitter.com/8gRGTYqY4J

— NFL On Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) February 8, 2022

The redesigned logo comes with Amazon’s 11-season deal with the NFL for exclusive rights to all “TNF” games.

Previously, games had aired on Fox, NFL Network and Prime, with some being exclusive to one service while others were simulcasts. Amazon and Twitter also have had the streaming rights to NFL games in the past, but those deals still allowed Thursday games to be carried on traditional TV, unlike the new contract Amazon signed with the NFL.

Inside Fox’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ design strategy

While the move means that Thursday night games won’t be available for free for those who grab broadcast signals over the air, other NFL game broadcasts will continue to air on broadcast and cable networks as their respective deals call for.

“TNF” will officially debut on Prime in September 2022 when the NFL kicks off its new season.

Amazon is reportedly shelling out $1 billon per season for the rights, but hasn’t inked any high profile deals for talent to provide commentary and analysis during games.

Amazon hikes price on Prime memberships — when you’ll be affected https://t.co/qgvkFjs4E3 #TVNews #BroadcastNews

— TVNewsMix (@TVNewsMix) February 9, 2022

That hefty price tag, along with other cost increases, is likely one of the key motivators behind Amazon’s decision to raise prices on its Prime membership program, which includes exclusive access to the Prime Video offerings as well as other benefits.

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While Amazon is investing heavily in the rights to the games, it appears that it will still contract with another network to provide actual production on the game rather than investing in its own broadcast equipment and crew. It’s had both CBS and Fox provide these services in the past.