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Al Michaels to Remain With NBC Sports in Emeritus Role

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Football play-by-play great Al Michaels is remaining with NBC Sports in a limited capacity, the network announced on Tuesday.

After 16 years with the network, Michaels has joined Amazon Prime to launch Thursday Night Football exclusively on the streaming service. The upcoming season marks the first time a streaming service will hold season-long rights to the NFL. 

Michaels, 77, first joined NBC in 2006 as the voice of Sunday Night Football, completed his 16th season calling games for NBC in 2021 and helped guide Sunday Night Football for 11 straight years as primetime’s No. 1 show. His decreased role with the network will include the NFL Playoffs and Olympics.

“I’m looking forward to continuing my longtime NBC relationship while also launching the Thursday Night Football package on Amazon this fall,” Michaels said in a statement from NBC. “A special thanks to NBC Sports Chairman Pete Bevacqua and the folks at NBCUniversal for their help in making this happen.”

The voice of the 1980 Miricle on Ice, 1989 San Francisco World Series earthquake, and the Steelers’ fifth and sixth Super Bowls from Super Bowl XL and XLIII, Michaels called his 11th Super Bowl over the winter, typing Pat Summerall for the most all-time.

His first season at Amazon Prime marks Michaels’ record 37th season behind the mic in primetime. He has won numerous awards while calling all four major sports including eight World Series in addition to nine Olympics. 

Michaels remains one of broadcasting’s most legendary and recognizable figures as he reaches his late 70s.

The Steelers play the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland on Thursday Night Football early on during the 2022 season. Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit will be on the call to begin week three on Sept. 22.

Mike Tirico will replace Michaels as the lead play-by-play announcer for Sunday Night Football.