Al Michaels to call select NFL playoff games, more for NBC despite jump to Amazon
Al Michaels may be done in the “Sunday Night Football” booth, but he’s not leaving NBC just yet.
Michaels has been given “emeritus status” and will “continue to broadcast and contribute across NBC Sports’ high-profile properties,” the network announced on Tuesday. Among other things, Michaels is expected to work NFL playoff games on NBC and help with Olympics coverage again in 2024.
Michaels is set to take over calling “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts for Amazon Prime Video this season. Amazon is starting the first of its new exclusive deal for those games this fall. He’ll be joined there by longtime ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit.
Michaels has called “Sunday Night Football” for NBC since 2006. His longtime partner Cris Collinsworth is remaining there this season, and will be joined by Mike Tirico. Maria Taylor will then replace Tirico as the host of their pregame show.
Michaels, 77, also called “Monday Night Football” games for ABC starting in 1986. He called his record-tying 11th Super Bowl earlier this year, too.
It’s unknown which playoff games Michaels will be part of next season, though NBC has a deal to broadcast a divisional game and two wild card games next season. In theory, Tirico and Collinsworth will call one of the playoff games while Michaels and someone else will take the other game on the weekend that NBC has two games.
NBC isn’t set to broadcast a Super Bowl again until 2026. Assuming Michaels hasn’t retired by then, as he’d be 81 when that game rolls around, he could be part of that coverage, too. The next Olympics aren’t until 2024 in Paris.
Michaels’ move to Amazon was one of several big shakeups in the NFL broadcasting world this offseason. Both Troy Aikman and Joe Buck left Fox for ESPN, where they’ll take over “Monday Night Football.” Greg Olsen is reportedly set to call Super Bowl LVII next February with Kevin Burkhardt on Fox. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady also reached a massive 10-year, $375 million deal to join Fox as a broadcaster whenever he officially retires, too.
