Amazon's first live NFL video stream overcomes rough start
It wasn't all smooth sailing for Amazon's live stream of the Thursday's Packer-Bears game, but the reviews were more positive than negative.
- Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
Amazon might have fumbled the kickoff and its offense may have sputtered on its first few drives, but after a glitchy start, its first NFL live stream turned in a decent performance. At least that's how critics online and on Twitter saw it.
Thursday Night Football's Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers match-up was available for Amazon Prime members to stream via Amazon Prime Video. Amazon reportedly paid about $50 million for the rights to broadcast 11 Thursday night games for this NFL season.
GeekWire reported that the start of the game saw "buffering interruptions on the Fire Stick, video quality issues on the computer, and getting booted from the Prime Video app."
Several Twitter users voiced their displeasure in the early going, but things simmered down after the initial glitches in the early first quarter subsided.
@amazon @JeffBezos Does audio come with Thursday night football on Amazon Prime Video? Or will I have to purchase it? @NFL #Amazon #ThursdayNightFootball
— Pierre Pham (@pierrepham) September 29, 2017
Hey #Amazon if you are going to offer NFL streaming on Thursday nights, make sure it works. #BrokenAmazonNFL
— ----------- (@averageworkdad) September 29, 2017
It was just an average night in live streaming. Several glitches, but no system breakdowns. Generally ok, but occasionally infuriating.
— Swanni (@SwanniOnTV) September 29, 2017