Select NFL games will be harder to watch soon

Detroit Lions fans throughout the Copper Country may be looking for a challenge flag soon regarding the National Football League’s new television contract. Luckily for those who bleed Honolulu blue and silver, it doesn’t take effect until 2023. The deals involve all four major networks and ESPN, plus Amazon.

The internet giant will get exclusive rights to the Thursday Night Football. The only way to watch will be through Amazon Prime Video, except for local markets which will have an over-the-air network option. The Upper Peninsula is considered part of the Packers market as of right now even though fan allegiances are split. When the Lions play on Thursday nights, non-members will be out of luck.

Amazon Prime Video is a premium, subscription-based service. It ran one Saturday afternoon game this past season between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. The platform’s performance was generally panned. Many complained of video buffering issues and other technical glitches. The company blamed local internet providers.

The new media rights deal lasts for ten years and is thought to be worth over $100 billion.