NFL Kickoff 2024: TNF on Prime Video Continues to Push the AI Envelope With New Set of ‘Prime Insights’

New Prime Insights for this season include Pressure Alert, Defensive Vulnerability, and Coverage ID

The upcoming season of Thursday Night Football on Prime Video will mark the debut of a new set of AI-powered innovations called Prime Insights that enhance the NFL viewing experience. New Prime Insights for this season include Pressure Alert, Defensive Vulnerability, and Coverage ID, while key returning Insights include Defensive Alerts, Prime Targets, Four Down Territory, and Field Goal Target Zones.

Pressure Alert, TNF’s latest AI-powered model, tracks defenders attacking the offensive backfield during live action and highlights those that are in position to disrupt the play.

“At Amazon, we’re uniquely positioned to accelerate the integration of AI into our live events, given the in-house expertise we’re able to collaborate with and the next-generation compute power that AWS provides.” says Jared Stacy, Director of Live Sports Production, Prime Video. “We consistently push the teams to use AI and computer vision to deliver enhancements that will be meaningful to fans. We are excited by the progress, and the new innovations coming this season.”

When the streamer earned its second consecutive Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Interactive Experience in May, an offseason collaboration was already underway to develop new-for-2024 broadcast enhancements that highlight on-field action like never before. The growing arsenal of AI features are continually developed through a unique collaboration of TNF producers, engineers, former NFL players, and Prime Video Sports’ AI and Computer Vision team. Powered by AWS and utilizing Next Gen Stats, these proprietary advancements highlight key players, illuminate hidden aspects of the game, and forecast pivotal moments before they happen.

Defensive Vulnerability is the first AI-powered TNF feature that steps beyond highlighting players to identify key areas of the field. A proprietary machine learning model uses thousands of data points before the snap to analyze defensive and offensive formations, and highlight where the offense will—or should—attempt to attack.

Among the many Prime Insights (listed below), the AI-powered ‘Defensive Alerts’ feature emerged as a breakthrough last season, and is the first predictive behavior AI model ever employed within a live NFL broadcast. Driven by a proprietary deep learning network that gets stronger as more plays unfold, Defensive Alerts tracks the movements of defensive players before the snap and identifies “players of interest” in real time that are likely to rush the quarterback. Defensive Alerts immediately connected with fans and media, prompting Peter King to write, “I might have seen the future of football on TV Thursday night,” after the feature made its debut. This season, Defensive Alerts will be featured during every TNF main broadcast.

Prime Vision With Next Gen Stats: Deep Insights in Real Time

TNF’s weekly alternate broadcast, Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats, continues to stand as a next generation viewing experience for fans. Prime Vision’s on-screen graphic overlays, distinctive vantage points from TNF’s All-22 camera angle, and in-game reports from Analytics Expert Sam Schwartzstein present fans with an opportunity to place themselves in the coach’s shoes, read plays like a quarterback, and learn more about the game that they love. In addition, Prime Vision serves as an essential laboratory for experiments and an incubator for innovations that may eventually advance to the main broadcast.

Coverage ID uses an AI model combined with live player tracking data to identify the defensive scheme (e.g. Zone, Man) for fans in real time before the snap.

Hallmarks of Prime Vision’s coverage include pre-snap player ID tags, highlighting open receivers mid-play, receiver route trees, ball-carrier speed, yards after catch, closing speed, and the QB’s time to throw. While some of these stats have been utilized within NFL replay analysis for some time, TNF’s Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats has achieved an unprecedented ability to present all of this and more on the screen in real time as live play unfolds.

“One of the coolest things about working with the Prime Video Sports AI team is being able to give them insight so the model can understand where the quarterback’s eyes need to be and show all the things the quarterback has to manage before the ball is even snapped,” says Ryan Fitzpatrick, TNF’s pregame, halftime and postgame analyst. “Playing quarterback is the most difficult position in the game. Being able to put the eyes of the viewer in the proper spot to know where the action is, and what the quarterback has to pay attention to before and after the snap, is groundbreaking.”

New for 2024 Prime Insights: Pressure Alert, Defensive Vulnerability, and Coverage ID

Pressure Alert: TNF’s latest AI-powered model that tracks defenders attacking the offensive backfield during live action and highlights those that are in position to disrupt the play.

Defensive Vulnerability: The first AI-powered TNF feature that steps beyond highlighting players to identify key areas of the field. A proprietary machine learning model uses thousands of data points before the snap to analyze defensive and offensive formations, and highlight where the offense will—or should—attempt to attack.

Coverage ID: This innovation uses an AI model combined with live player tracking data to identify the defensive scheme (e.g. Zone, Man) for fans in real time before the snap.

“Having the opportunity to experience Amazon’s AI technology during the game really helps fans understand the subtleties of each play, and offers them a deeper understanding of the strategic aspects of football,” says Kirk Herbstreit, TNF’s game analyst. “When I watch a game, I like to see how the pre-snap motions force the defense to adjust. The new Defensive Vulnerability feature will show exactly where the offense should exploit mismatches.”

Returning Prime Insights: Defensive Alerts, Prime Targets, Four-Down Territory, FG Zone Targets

Defensive Alerts: To be featured during TNF’s main broadcast each week in 2024, Defensive Alerts tracks the movements of defensive players prior to the snap and identifies “players of interest” in real time that are likely to rush the quarterback. When a probable blitzer is identified, a red orb appears under them to give viewers a heads up.

“It has been incredible to be part of the process with the team at Amazon,” says Richard Sherman, TNF’s pregame, halftime and postgame analyst. “Defensive Alerts is my favorite AI feature. It’s accurate and predictive. It really gives the fans a bit of insight as to who could be rushing the quarterback and changes the way they view the game.”

Prime Targets: Prime Targets identifies receivers that are open and likely to convert a first down. Through RFID chips in the players’ shoulder pads, Prime Targets tracks and highlights open receivers in real-time with a green orb when they meet qualifying logic.

Four-Down Territory: Utilizing Next Gen Stats, powered by AWS, and machine learning, Prime Video helps fans understand how fourth-down decisions are made by coaches in real time. In pivotal third-down down situations, a virtual line on the field indicates where the offense needs to advance the ball in order to earn an analytically strong “go for it” recommendation on fourth down.

Field Goal Target Zones: In order to provide more context surrounding drives where a field goal has added importance, such as at the end of a game or half, Field Goal Target Zones overlay multiple lines on the field that deliver the statistical likelihoods that a kicker will make a field goal.

Continued Innovation: HDR, Ultra-Low Latency Livestreaming, Key Plays, Rapid Recap, X-Ray

In addition, Prime Video continually upgrades its technology enhancements designed to evolve the enjoyment of live sports beyond a one-way linear relationship and into a connected and customized online experience.

Native High Dynamic Range (HDR) Productions: Prime Video produces TNF in native High Dynamic Range (HDR), delivering a viewing experience for fans with greater contrast between light and dark, and more vivid colors.

Best-in-class Livestreaming Technology with Ultra-Low Latency: A combination of Prime Video and AWS technology manifest in a proprietary, end-to-end livestreaming solution that delivers ultra-low latency, eliminates drift, ensures synchronization, and delivers streams with unparalleled quality from the stadium to the screen in under 10 seconds. This delivery speed matches—and often surpasses—what fans receive from traditional cable and broadcast networks, and ensures they are even less likely to have key moments spoiled by texts, social media or noisy neighbors.

Key Plays: Key Plays leverages AI to provide fans with an ability to view in-game highlights and key moments on demand while watching TNF on Prime Video. A bank of pivotal moments builds as the game progresses and offers viewers immediate access to those key plays.

Rapid Recap: Rapid Recap assists those who join the game in-progress and want to catch up on the action they missed before entering the livestream. Accessible after selecting “Watch,” Rapid Recap employs AI to compile highlights, with the full recap lasting no longer than two minutes. Once caught up, fans are automatically dropped into live action.

X-Ray: X-Ray is an exclusive Prime Video feature that allows fans to check real-time stats, including Next Gen Stats powered by AWS, play-by-play data, and team and player info, without ever leaving the live game.

For more on Prime Video’s TNF innovations check out SVG’s coverage from last season HERE and HERE. Plus stay tuned for a deeper look at TNF’s production plans in the coming days on SVG.