CULVER CITY, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams’ defense showcased a strategic approach during their recent match against San Francisco, seemingly opting to drop back into coverage instead of actively pressuring quarterback Brock Purdy. However, the portrayal by Amazon Prime Video offered a fascinating perspective on the game’s final play.
Before the ball was snapped, viewers noticed a defensive alert highlighting Rams inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom as a possible rusher. Indeed, Rozeboom surged in to sack Purdy, resulting in a loss of six yards that culminated in the game-ending play. This moment had both Rams players celebrating and the production crew of Prime Video’s “Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats” exchanging joyous high fives.
As Prime Video gets ready to close its third season of broadcast NFL games, featuring an upcoming AFC wild-card confrontation between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, advances in their “Prime Vision” feed and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continue to enhance how fans analyze and comprehend the game.
Alex Strand, a senior coordinating producer at Prime Video, emphasized their mission to simplify the often intricate strategies involved in football. “Regardless of your football knowledge, AI technically surpasses what we can accomplish manually,” he explained. “With our defensive alerts, we simply place a red circle around a player. An avid fan may notice further complexities like safeties moving up, while a newer fan would see the circle and recognize a potential big play can happen, showcasing a corner blitz, which is quite powerful.”
In its second season, Defensive Alerts has also been integrated into the main “Thursday Night Football” broadcasts. This feature monitors player movement prior to snaps, identifying those likely to blitz. Through machine learning, potential pass rushers are highlighted with a red circle, allowing audiences to track defensive formations with ease.
Additionally, the “Prime targets” feature identifies key receivers most likely to secure a catch and gain necessary yards. This tool assists in deciding whether to go for it on fourth down or when a field goal might be a viable option, further enhancing strategic understanding.
Developed by Amazon’s Computer Vision Machine Learning team, these AI systems stemmed from a project initiated in Tel Aviv, Israel, last year and continue to advance. The AI models rely on data collected from the league’s Next Gen Stats system, which meticulously tracks players and offers impactful analytics. Since 2017, Amazon Web Services has played a pivotal role in providing the NFL with technological support for these statistics.
This season, Amazon broadened its offerings with features like pressure alerts that indicate defenders likely to sack the quarterback, as well as highlighting areas vulnerable to offensive strategies in passing plays. Sam Schwartzstein, an analyst for the TNF Prime Vision segment, remarked on the newfound ability to define complex plays and strategies that were once challenging to accurately chart.
A unique aspect of the “Prime Vision with Next Gen Stats” broadcast is its inclusion of the main commentary team, featuring Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, and Kaylee Hartung, alongside Schwartzstein who contributes analysis at strategic points. “We offer comprehensive insights,” Schwartzstein noted. “While Next Gen Stats provides foundational data, we delve deeper on Prime Vision, aiming to shift your perspective on the game.”
One notable enhancement has been the introduction of a high skycam as the primary camera, allowing viewers to see the entire field layout similar to a video game perspective. Previously, the main view relied on an all-22 sideline camera, which had limitations regarding play development visibility due to its high angle.
The transition to the skycam during a November 7 matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Ravens drew significant online engagement. After this switch, social media interactions skyrocketed from less than 5,000 to over 315,000 mentions across platforms like Twitter/X, TikTok, and Reddit during the subsequent broadcasts.
Jay Marine, Prime Video’s global head of sports, expressed enthusiasm about the new view. “The high skycam offers an engaging quarterback’s perspective, and after three years of innovation, we see Prime Vision as our experimental platform, optimizing what resonates with our audience.”
The production team also benefits from input from three analysts from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats department, who help examine trends and tactics. They supply data packets to network broadcasts to dissect matchups, track defensive and offensive statistics, and maintain a thorough understanding of evolving game dynamics.
Keegan Abdoo, an NFL analyst, noted how collaboration with the Prime Video teams has enriched their analytical projects throughout the season. “Our objective is to aid viewers in comprehending on-field actions while directing them to the data that deepens that understanding,” he stated. “Merging visual footage with data creates more compelling narratives, starting from the action before translating to the analytics.”
