USA TODAY Sports observed the production of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ pregame show, ‘TNF Tonight.’
The show’s success is attributed to the chemistry between the cast and the collaborative production environment.
‘TNF Tonight’ has seen a significant ratings increase, with viewership up 18% from the previous season’s average.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – Throw on a headset a minute before Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” pregame show goes live, and, well, you hear some interesting things.  

Booty, booty, booty, rockin’ everywhere, rockin’ everywhere. 

That dog’s just sniffin’ away. 

Oh guys! Lulu got adopted! 

It must be showtime. 

USA TODAY Sports sat in the production truck ahead of the New England Patriots’ victory over the New York Jets on Nov. 13 for the duration of Prime Video’s pregame show, “TNF Tonight.” This reporter heard everything senior coordinating producer Spoon Daftary told his talent seated onset inside Gillette Stadium – and what host Charissa Thompson and analysts Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth relayed back to the production truck. 

The interactions showed why the Prime Video studio crew has set the new standard for shows across the football media landscape. 

Amazon’s NFL team still pushing amid impressive start, stiff competition

The show starts in about 37 seconds, but Daftary has an iPhone up to his ear. He’s still coordinating the appearance of Medal of Honor recipient Ryan Pitts, who was honored later in the show in a pretaped Veterans Day piece.

That all sorts itself out and moments later, the cacophony of countdowns and “gos!” fill the truck. 

As the show goes through its opening segment smoothly, Daftary is making decisions to keep everything seamless. That shot of Aaron Glenn walking into the stadium with luggage? Boring. Let’s use a locker-room shot of a player readying himself instead. A question about the offensive coordinators in the game is tabled for the sake of time. 

During a break, Daftary reveals “I called Marshawn (Lynch) yesterday.” The former NFL running back is a special contributor to Amazon’s pre- and post-game programming. 

This show was a bit less hectic because of the two pre-taped segments – the Medal of Honor story and Rob Gronkowski, who had officially retired as a Patriot one day earlier, joining the set. 

“There definitely needs to be an article tomorrow about this,” Daftary said about the predictably-off-the-wall “Gronk” session.  

As he coaches his team in preparation to return from break, the collaborative spirit fills him. “What do you have here for C2?” he asks the graphics team. “Oh great!” 

“You can speak too,” he adds for the group about the upcoming segment that features Fitzpatrick’s analysis. 

Starpower is often the answer for most networks regarding their studio programming. ESPN has Jason Kelce and host Scott Van Pelt. The FOX crew lost Jimmy Johnson this season but replaced him with Gronkowski. CBS’ “NFL Today” has undergone a facelift to bring in fresh faces Matt Ryan and Nate Burleson (and J.J. Watt left for a booth job). 

What other studio shows lack compared to the Prime crew, though, is the ability to genuinely blend the fun the format allows for, the football that must be discussed and the humanity – former players have these jobs because of the insight they can provide, after all. 

Four years ago, Thompson – the host and television veteran – had to explain to her deskmates what an “A-block” meant. By Year 2, they were all pros. 

“Spoon and I have dialogue and email back-and-forth after every show,” she told USA TODAY Sports in 2023. “Things we did good, things we did bad, things that we can get better on because I don’t ever want to get complacent.”

NFL ratings up across board in 2025 season – including ‘TNF Tonight’ 

The instructions sound like a classroom roll call after recess.

“We’re talking Vrabel here,” Daftary said. “Sherm, Whit, Tony.” 

As Daftary wrangles his crew back from break, Thompson does a Ron Burgundy impression. “Ow, now, brown, cow,” she says. Sherman quotes T.I.’s “Bring Em Out” with a “mic check, one-two, one-two.” 

Ratings are up across the entire league, from the traditional networks – CBS, for example, is touting its highest viewership since 1998 – to the newest full-time broadcast partner in Prime Video. 

The week prior to this show, according to Amazon, “TNF Tonight” before the Denver Broncos-Las Vegas Raiders snoozer set a new average audience record with 2.18 million viewers – edging the previous best from the streamer’s first game this season between the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders (2.13 million viewers). That’s an 18% increase from last season’s average, and up from the 1.12 million average the show drew in its first season (2022). 

“Do I have Ian?” Thompson wonders about the set’s connection to the at-home setup of reporter Ian Rapoport, who will join the team for the next segment with news and nuggets. 

Sometimes, the voice from the other side offers a kind reminder to the crew. 

“Sherm, you’re the only one who says you don’t like what they’re doing,” Daftary reiterated during a discussion about the Jets’ trade deadline selloff. 

“Teeing up Fitz on the Jets,” Daftary says. 

Fitz says his piece, while Daftary keeps going. 

“Tony follows here,” he says. 

See for yourself: Watch Texans-Bills on Amazon Prime’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ stream

“I’ll take Woody,” Daftary adds, asking for the shot of Jets owner Woody Johnson on the field pregame. 

Heading into a different segment, Daftary lets Thompson know the timing will be tight to get to the next break. 

“Perfect,” he says after Thompson’s terse intro. “Out of this, Whit then Sherm.” 

“Ohhh that’s kind of a fun one. Let’s go Gronk and Randy Moss,” Daftary says when a smart cameraman gets a shot of the former tight end and Hall of Fame wideout in attendance standing together on the field.  

‘Where’s Christian Gonzalez?’ Fast pivots and spot fires part of production

It’s not all perfect. Sherman starts talking about Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez – defensive backs are often one another’s biggest fans – but no pregame shot has been prepared. 

“Guys, where’s Christian Gonzalez?” Daftary wants to know. 

Daftary keeps the teleprompter moving and on schedule for Thompson: “Move it up to E23.” “Think about 5 seconds an answer, Fitz,” he instructs for the sponsored gambling segment parlay. 

At 7:58 local time, Daftary compliments the crew and cast for a solid first hour. “Sherm, reminder on the one turnover thing here,” he says to prep the Super Bowl champion for the final pregame word about the Jets’ defensive ineptitude.

Daftary let Thompson know the final segment before handing production over to the announcing booth for the next three hours was about to begin.

“Mics up for you guys too,” he tells his quartet of ex-NFL stars, “please.” 

Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub did not mince words when asked for his reaction to President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of the NFL’s dynamic kickoff rule.

Toub – who has been a special teams coordinator at the NFL level since the 2004 season – made it clear during a Nov. 20 media availability that he doesn’t care what the president thinks about the play.

‘He doesn’t even know what he’s looking at. He has no idea what’s going on with the kickoff rule,’ Toub said, referencing Trump. ‘Take that for what it’s worth. And I hope he hears it.’

Toub’s comments come just over a week after Trump referred to the dynamic kickoff as ‘terrible’ during an appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’

‘I hate the kickoff in football. I think it’s so terrible, I think it’s so demeaning. I think it hurts the game and hurts the pageantry,’ Trump said during a Nov. 11 episode of the show. ‘I’ve told that to Roger Goodell. And I don’t think it’s any safer. I mean you still have guys crashing into each other.

‘The ball is in the air and nobody is moving. It’s supposed to be when the ball is in the air, when the ball is played you’re supposed to be moving. The pageantry of the game is so badly hurt. The NFL, they do what they want to do. I don’t think they’ll change. I hope college football doesn’t change, because the power of the kickoff was so beautiful.’

The NFL instituted the dynamic kickoff for the 2024 NFL season after it was used in the XFL’s 2020 and 2023 seasons. The goal of instituting the new kickoff was to create more return opportunities on kicks while limiting the amount of full-speed collisions that occurred during the old kickoff setup.

The NFL has claimed the dynamic kickoff has, thus far, been safer than the original kickoff while kick return rate rose from a historic low of 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% in 2024, per the league.

And while the NFL hasn’t released full data for its kicks during the 2025 season thus far, the league reported after five weeks that kickoff return rate had increased to a massive 81.3%.

Four WNBA players have now committed to play in Project B, a women’s basketball startup league expected to tip off in Europe, Asia and Latin America in November 2026.

All-Stars Jewel Loyd, who played for the Las Vegas Aces last season, and Jonquel Jones, who was on the New York Liberty, said they would play in the league.

“Every step forward in this game is an investment in what’s possible,’ Loyd said. ‘I believe in where women’s basketball is headed, and the worldwide momentum is real.” 

Jones said she would enjoy being “able to continue to play against the best players in the world, play with the best players in the world and be able to see new parts of the world.”

They join Nneka Ogwumike and Alyssa Thomas, who previously committed to the Project B, which has promised higher salaries than either the WNBA or Unrivaled and an equity stake, which is part of the Unrivaled playbook.

But what do we really know about Project B? Chief basketball officer Alana Beard joined Sarah Spain’s “Good Game” podcast to give some details. It is fair to say Beard kept many of the specifics to herself and refused to answer some of Spain’s more pointed questions.

But, here’s what we learned about the fledgling league:

What is the format for Project B and when will it start?

The women’s basketball league will include six teams, 11 to a roster, and play a traditional 5-on-5 format. Project B plans to host seven two-week tournaments in locations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. Project B, Beard said, will have men’s and women’s leagues but the women will begin play sooner. The plan is for the first women’s season to begin play in November 2026 and conclude in April 2027. Beard did not share where the tournaments would be played, specifically, but did say the men and women will play in the same cities.

How much will Project B pay per season?

Women who play in Project B will get an equity stake in the league in addition to salary. The league promises to pay more than the WNBA ($102,249 per season) or Unrivaled ($220,000 per season) did for 2025. Front Office Sports reported player deals in the women’s league will reach seven figures and start at $2 million annually. Beard would not confirm any salary figures when asked by Spain.

What effect might Project B have on the WNBA?

More than one former player has raised the question, if you are getting paid millions overseas why would you prioritize playing in the WNBA? After all, Diana Taurasi didn’t play the 2015 WNBA season at the request of her Russian club team, UMMC Ekaterinburg. They paid her more than her WNBA salary to rest and be healthy for their season.

Basketball Hall of Famer Sue Bird addressed that point on her podcast.

“What gets lost when it comes to the WNBA is playing in America, being able to capitalize on endorsements, which now is a real player for these players,” Bird said on A Touch More. “A lot of these contracts — now it’s not that you can’t create a new type of contract — but I know my shoe deal, I had to play in the WNBA to get my money. So, a lot of the ecosystem that we live in as Americans, playing in the WNBA, revolves around playing in America.”

Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson both have lucrative shoe deals with Nike. Angle Reese is signed with Reebok.

Who will play in the league?

Beyond players from the WNBA, Beard said, ‘We have international players signed on. We have young players signed on. (And) that consists of players from four or five different continents at the moment.’ Beard did not name any names.

How will the league model attract fans?

The six teams will not be attached to a city, region or country, which is traditional in sports. Beard said she thinks younger fans are more attached to athletes than teams. ‘It’s our thesis and belief that it’s about the name on the back of a jersey. … When you think about the way fans are now engaging today, this is a younger audience, Gen Z. They’re all about highlights, they’re all about streaming, and they’re all about the individual.’

How did Project B get started?

The startup league was founded by former Facebook executive Grady Burnett and Skype co-founder Geoff Prentice. Beard said the pair came up with it over dinner with the idea that basketball is a global game with lots of fans.

‘It’s just literally analyzing the entire market … there are 3 billion plus basketball fans around the world and within the United States, within kind of the two main leagues, the W and the NBA, they’re only tapping into 10 to 11 percent of that global fan base,’ Beard said. ‘And so there’s so much untapped market outside of North America that we believe as an opportunity to come in and build something that is extremely sustainable, global and competitive and just really unique.’

Who else has invested in the league?

In addition to Prentice and Burnett, former WNBA MVP Candace Parker, Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Sloane Stephens have invested in Project B. Venture capital firms like Mangrove Capital, Quiet Capital and Sequence Equity also have a stake.

What ties does Project B have to Saudi Public Investment Fund?

Project B is in a partnership with Sela, an entertainment company owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. ‘Sela is a global operating partner that is owned by PIF,’ Beard said. ‘We’re paying them as a service to logistically produce our events, and they have.’

Every week for the duration of the 2025 regular season, USA TODAY Sports will provide timely updates to the NFL’s ever-evolving playoff picture − typically starting after Sunday afternoon’s late games and then moving forward for the remainder of the week (through Monday’s and Thursday’s games or Saturday’s, if applicable. And, when the holidays roll around, we’ll be watching then, too).

What just happened? What does it mean? What are the pertinent factors (and, perhaps, tiebreakers) prominently in play as each conference’s seven-team bracket begins to crystallize? All will be explained and analyzed up to the point when the postseason field is finalized on Sunday, Jan. 4.

Here’s where things stand with Week 12 underway:

AFC playoff picture

1. Denver Broncos (9-2), AFC West leaders: Sunday’s win over Kansas City gave them a chokehold on the AFC West throne the Chiefs have sat upon since 2016. It also moved the Broncos past the Patriots for the conference’s top spot − Denver’s record in AFC games (6-2) currently a half-game better than New England’s. A week off is nice … but it could also drop the Broncos back to the third seed due to their Week 2 loss at Indianapolis. Remaining schedule: BYE, at Commanders, at Raiders, vs. Packers, vs. Jaguars, at Chiefs, vs. Chargers

2. New England Patriots (9-2), AFC East leaders: Win at Cincinnati on Sunday, and the Pats become the first team to 10 wins this season and would reclaim first place in the conference. They’re in prime position to win the division for the first time since Tom Brady led them to first place in 2019 and maybe their first No. 1 playoff seed since 2017. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Giants, BYE, vs. Bills, at Ravens, at Jets, vs. Dolphins

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-2), AFC South leaders: The schedule was Charmin soft before their bye, but you can’t control whom you play. The second-half lineup, starting at Arrowhead, seems much less forgiving. So, too, are the Texans, who are mounting a fresh divisional charge. Remaining schedule: at Chiefs, vs. Texans, at Jaguars, at Seahawks, vs. 49ers, vs. Jaguars, at Texans

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4), AFC North leaders: Only one game up on Baltimore for the division lead, which only means a 41% chance the Steelers reach postseason, per Next Gen Stats. Remaining schedule: at Bears, vs. Bills, at Ravens, vs. Dolphins, at Lions, at Browns, vs. Ravens

5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4), wild card No. 1: The week off arrives right on time for a literally battered team that was figuratively bludgeoned its last time out. Buffalo’s loss Thursday moved Bolts up a spot. Remaining schedule: BYE, vs. Raiders, vs. Eagles, at Chiefs, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, at Broncos

6. Buffalo Bills (7-4), wild card No. 2: QB Josh Allen took a beating − as did the Bills’ hopes of catching the Patriots in the AFC East race. Now 4-3 in conference games, Buffalo fell behind the Chargers in the wild-card seeding, too. Remaining schedule: at Steelers, vs. Bengals, at Patriots, at Browns, vs. Eagles, vs. Jets

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4), wild card No. 3: Wins over the Chiefs and Chargers could serve them well when it’s time to sort out tiebreakers. Winning at Arizona? Not so much … though the Jags can’t afford many slip-ups, either. Lose on Sunday, and the Texans displace Jacksonville as the No. 7 seed. Remaining schedule: at Cardinals, at Titans, vs. Colts, vs. Jets, at Broncos, vs. Colts, at Titans

8. Houston Texans (6-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four of five, including three in a row without injured QB C.J. Stroud. If they want to win the AFC South for a third straight year, the Texans likely need to sweep the Colts while continuing their surge … but the pieces are falling into place for a late charge to the top. Remaining schedule: at Colts, at Chiefs, vs. Cardinals, vs. Raiders, at Chargers, vs. Colts

9. Kansas City Chiefs (5-5), in the hunt: Their nine-year run atop the AFC West appears practically over following their loss in Denver. Still plenty of time to recover otherwise for a team that’s never missed the AFC championship game since Patrick Mahomes became the QB1 in 2018. Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Cowboys, vs. Texans, vs. Chargers, at Titans, vs. Broncos, at Raiders

10. Baltimore Ravens (5-5), in the hunt: They’ve won four in a row in their return to relevance. But their best hope to reach the postseason is to win a third consecutive AFC North crown given they’ve already lost to K.C. and Houston. Their upcoming three-game homestand seems … sweepable? Remaining schedule: vs. Jets, vs. Bengals, vs. Steelers, at Bengals, vs. Patriots, at Packers, at Steelers

NFC playoff picture

1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), NFC East leaders: Win at Dallas on Sunday, and they’re virtually assured of being the division’s first back-to-back champs in 21 years − the Eagles last doing it in 2004. A Week 3 escape from the Rams, which included a blocked field goal returned for a TD on the final play, currently confers the No. 1 seed to Philly. Remaining schedule: at Cowboys, vs. Bears, at Chargers, vs. Raiders, at Commanders, at Bills, vs. Commanders

2. Los Angeles Rams (8-2), NFC West leaders: While they’re a tiebreaker back of Philly, the Rams also have scant breathing room between themselves and the Seahawks, whom they survived Sunday, and the 49ers in the division. LA plays as many NFC South teams as NFC West rivals down the stretch. Remaining schedule: vs. Buccaneers, at Panthers, at Cardinals, vs. Lions, at Seahawks, at Falcons, vs. Cardinals

3. Chicago Bears (7-3), NFC North leaders: They’ve won seven of eight since an 0-2 start to stunningly take over first place in the division. Up next? Numerous opportunities to beat their first opponent currently with a winning record. Remaining schedule: vs. Steelers, at Eagles, at Packers, vs. Browns, vs. Packers, at 49ers, vs. Lions

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), NFC South leaders: Their divisional lead is down to a half game over Carolina, but the Bucs’ schedule will get quite manageable on the other side of ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Remaining schedule: at Rams, vs. Cardinals, vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, at Panthers, at Dolphins, vs. Panthers

5. Seattle Seahawks (7-3), wild card No. 1: All three of the ‘Hawks’ losses are against NFC opponents, including two in the division − defeats that won’t serve them well in the tiebreaker department. Remaining schedule: at Titans, vs. Vikings, at Falcons, vs. Colts, vs. Rams, at Panthers, at 49ers

6. Green Bay Packers (6-3-1), wild card No. 2: They got awfully banged up in Sunday’s victory over the Giants yet eventually advanced one rung in the NFC seedings. Remaining schedule: vs. Vikings, at Lions, vs. Bears, at Broncos, at Bears, vs. Ravens, at Vikings

7. San Francisco 49ers (7-4), wild card No. 3: Detroit’s latest setback moves a third NFC West team into the projected seven-team NFC playoff field. And maybe the Niners can start building some momentum with QB1 Brock Purdy back in the lineup. Monday night’s game against Carolina comes with high stakes. Remaining schedule: vs. Panthers, at Browns, BYE, vs. Titans, at Colts, vs. Bears, vs. Seahawks

8. Detroit Lions (6-4), in the hunt: The offense crashed back to earth Sunday night in Philly as Detroit crashed out of the playoff picture … for now. Had they won in Philly, the Lions would have been the No. 2 seed − illustrative of how tightly packed the conference currently is. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants, vs. Packers, vs. Cowboys, at Rams, vs. Steelers, at Vikings, at Bears

9. Carolina Panthers (6-5), in the hunt: In addition to breathing downs the Bucs’ backs, they’re only a game back of the Niners for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. Winners of six of nine, the Panthers only have one win against a team (Green Bay) currently above .500. Remaining schedule: at 49ers, vs. Rams, BYE, at Saints, vs. Buccaneers, vs. Seahawks, at Buccaneers

10. Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1), in the hunt: Monday’s mauling of the Raiders gave this team a needed lift, both emotionally and in the standings − Dallas moving back into the playoff periphery … but it could have a tough time remaining there given the lineup it’s about to face. Remaining schedule: vs. Eagles, vs. Chiefs, at Lions, vs. Vikings, vs. Chargers, at Commanders, at Giants

NFL teams eliminated from playoff contention in 2025

None

Two months after Terence Crawford handed Canelo Alvarez the third loss of his career, rumors of a potential rematch in 2026 have surfaced, according to the Mexican outlet TV Azteca.

According to TV Azteca’s social media post, Canelo has discussed plans for a potential rematch, and negotiations are reportedly underway, though specific details remain undisclosed. Crawford has yet to comment or confirm the rematch talks.

Crawford’s first matchup against Canelo in September saw him deliver an impressive performance, defeating Canelo by unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, making Crawford the undisputed super middleweight champion. With this victory, Crawford, who has an undefeated record of 42 wins including 31 knockouts, became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed champion status in three different weight classes. He moved up from 154 pounds to 168 pounds to secure the win against Canelo.

Canelo is currently signed to a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh, but his next opponent has not been announced.

When is Canelo vs. Crawford 2?

TV Azteca reports that Canelo has initiated discussions for a potential rematch, with negotiations currently in progress, although specific details have not been disclosed. Crawford has not yet commented on or confirmed the rematch discussions.

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Shane Beamer’s seen enough of his South Carolina team’s three-win season to know where the Gamecocks will be this time next year: in the thick of the playoff hunt.

“We’re going to be sitting here (this time next November) watching the playoff rankings to see where we are in the ranking show,” Beamer told reporters this week. “And we’re going to be firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.”

And Howard Dean yelled, Yeah!

There’s no point in an SEC coach who’ll be entering his sixth season in 2026 asking for patience or trying to water down expectations, so go ahead and call your shot. It’s win or be fired, so Beamer might as well preach from the pulpit that he’s going to win, and maybe a few recruits or transfers will hear him and believe it.

Credit Beamer for making it this long. Assuming he lasts into 2026, he’ll join Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier as South Carolina’s only coaches to reach Year 6 since the Gamecocks started competing in the SEC in 1992. Sparky Woods, Brad Scott and Will Muschamp — all of them were fired in their fifth season.

It’s not that the Gamecocks cannot achieve success. It’s that they’ve been unable to sustain it. Holtz won 17 games in a two-year span before backtracking. Muschamp produced one 9-4 season, which Beamer matched last year.

Peaks and valleys, that’s South Carolina’s existence inside the SEC. Only Spurrier, the best coach in program history, prolonged the peak. The Head Ball Coach won 42 games during one four-year stretch that doesn’t get its proper due among the truly remarkable feats of the past quarter-century.

If Beamer goes belly-up, I’m skeptical that whomever South Carolina hires to replace him will outperform him. But this is a vibes business, and consecutive bad seasons would call for a vibes change.

Beamer didn’t help himself last week. He talked tough during an in-game interview while his Gamecocks surged to a lead on No. 3 Texas A&M. His first-half demeanor was that of a guy acting as if he’d just won on the oval at Darlington Speedway.

Never mind that two quarters remained. The Gamecocks came out in the second half playing like they thought they had the game won.

Who could blame them, if they took their cues from Beamer?

I don’t mean to mock Beamer — or maybe I do — because he came closer to beating the Aggies than anyone else. Coming close won’t be celebrated, though. Being on the losing end of Texas A&M’s biggest comeback in school history will be the narrative that lingers.

Beamer gets his guys up for big games — for a second consecutive season, they pushed Alabama to the brink but failed to shove the Tide off the cliff — and his teams are usually good for a signature moment every November. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if the Gamecocks beat Clemson during Thanksgiving week. Given the Tigers’ own flop this season, maybe that doesn’t count as a signature, but a rivalry win against Clemson is a rivalry win against Clemson.

“We’re not going to go through this thing again, and we’re going to go finish this season out the right way,” Beamer said.

He’s right. South Carolina’s not going through this again with Beamer. He’ll either turn it around in 2026, or the Gamecocks will be hiring his replacement this time next year.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.