Another network is reportedly interested in current NBC play-by-play commentator Al Michaels as he becomes a possible free agent following Super Bowl LVI. According to a new report from Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, ESPN may pursue Michales for Monday Night Football ahead of his impending free agency, as Michaels name has been linked to Amazon’s Thursday Night Football broadcast.
From Marchand’s report:
“The potential interest in returning Michaels, 77, to his TV football home — he was the longtime voice of MNF — comes as Michaels is deep into negotiations with Amazon Prime Video about becoming the main voice of its exclusive “Thursday Night Football” package that begins next fall, according to sources.”
Michaels spent 30 years with ABC Sports, now ESPN on ABC, and was the voice of Monday Night Football from 1986 to 2005. In 2006, the legendary broadcaster was traded to NBCUniversal for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character created by Walt Disney but was owned by Universal. The trade was sparked after Michaels’ broadcast partner, the late legendary color analyst John Madden preceded Michaels in joining NBC.
For ESPN, adding a veteran like Michaels will help bolster their broadcast team as the network has expanded their MNF coverage, which now includes a Monday NFL Wildcard game. ESPN will broadcast select games on their various platforms such as ESPN+, ABC, and ESPN2 throughout the next decade.
Not only would ESPN be competing with Amazon if they were to acquire Michaels, but Amazon is reportedly interested in bringing the ManningCast to Thursday Night Football when ESPN’s deal with Omaha Productions ends in 2023.
If Michaels does make his return to ESPN, he could still end up eventually working for Amazon if Disney does spin-off the network and Amazon decides to acquire it.