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LeBron’s ‘The Shop’ to Bring Alternate Broadcast to Thursday Night Football

TNF in The Shop begins on Nov. 17 and will feature a mix of personalities across sports, business, entertainment, and pop culture.

Once upon a time, LeBron James was a star football player in high school. Safe to say he made the right decision opting to go all-in on hoops, but his latest opportunity enables him to talk NFL on a major platform.

Starting on Nov. 17 with the Titans-Packers game, James, Maverick Carter, Paul Rivera, and special guests will join Amazon‘s Thursday Night Football on Prime Video live from The Shop as an alternate streaming offer, similar to ESPN’s Manningcast. Per Prime Video, TNF in The Shop will be an “unmatched, watch-party-style experience.

“We get to talk football like the great, late [John] Madden,” said James. “We love football, and for us to have this moment with Uninterrupted and The Shop, and for us to bring this to Thursday night — it’s incredible for us. I’m happy to be part of it, that’s for damn sure.”

Outside of simply live commentary on the game itself, TNF in The Shop will put together a mix of personalities across pop culture and business.

“Each week, Thursday Night Football brings together friends and family to watch and engage with the teams and players they love,” Amina Hussein, head of talent for Prime Video Sports, said in a statement. “With TNF in The Shop, we are honored to deepen that fan experience through organic, authentic conversation, and look forward to its premiere.”

Will LeBron Help Amazon TNF Viewership?

It’s certainly a unique means of bringing a different experience of viewership to the table — something Prime Video can use right now. There aren’t any official numbers for Week 8, but average viewership has plummeted since the start of the season, most likely because of the underwhelming matchups they’ve put on primetime.

Here’s a quick glance at the average viewership for TNF:

  • Sept. 15 (Chiefs-Chargers): 13 million
  • Sept. 22 (Steelers-Browns): 11.03 million
  • Sept. 29 (Dolphins-Bengals): 11.7 million
  • Oct. 6 (Colts-Broncos): 9.7 million
  • Oct. 13 (Commanders-Bears): 8.79 million
  • Oct 20 (Saints-Cardinals): 7.8 million

We’ll see what type of impact James and Co. have luring in a bigger audience and perhaps a new audience, too. But as we’ve seen with Manningcast, among other alternate streams, it doesn’t hurt to try new things with such prominent personalities like LeBron James.

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Anthony Puccio

Anthony Puccio is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom. Puccio has 10 years of experience in journalism and content creation, previously working for SB Nation, The Associated Press, New York Daily News, SNY, and Front Office Sports. In 2016, he received New York University's CCTOP scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from St. John's University. He can be spotted a mile away thanks to his plaid suits and thick New York accent. Don't believe us? Check his Twitter @APooch.

About The Author
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio
Anthony Puccio is a former Staff Writer at Boardroom. Puccio has 10 years of experience in journalism and content creation, previously working for SB Nation, The Associated Press, New York Daily News, SNY, and Front Office Sports. In 2016, he received New York University's CCTOP scholarship and earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from St. John's University. He can be spotted a mile away thanks to his plaid suits and thick New York accent. Don't believe us? Check his Twitter @APooch.