Al Michaels has reached a milestone that will likely stand the test of time – 40 years as the play-by-play announcer for one of the NFL’s primetime packages. The Christmas-night game between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs on Prime Video will be his 779th NFL broadcast.
A 40-Year Journey
Michaels’ career began in 1986 when he was hired to call ABC’s “Monday Night Football.” He remained with the network until 2005, after which he moved to NBC to launch “Sunday Night Football.” The 2023 season marks his fourth year doing Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.”
He has called 11 Super Bowls, tying him with Pat Summerall for the most in NFL history. The broadcast record is staggering: 779 NFL games, including 11 championship contests.
Record-Breaking Numbers
Michaels is the dean of NFL announcers in terms of games called. CBS’ Kevin Harlan is the closest among active announcers with 542 broadcasts and would need at least 13 more seasons to catch Michaels if he ever retires. Michaels turned 81 in November and has shown no signs of slowing down.
Behind the Mic
“We’ve all done so many big games at this point, but he truly gets excited when he has the opportunity to do a big game. And you can’t say that for a lot of people in our business,” said Fred Gaudelli, who was Michaels’ producer for 23 seasons. “After a certain amount of time, you lose that fire in your belly to really do it, and he’s never lost that.”
Kirk Herbstreit, in his fourth season as Michaels’ partner, praised his ability to manage a broadcast. “I’ve always noticed that the bigger the moment, when you really feel urgency as a broadcaster, Al gets calmer and just waits for the right time to bring his voice to that crescendo,” he said. “I’ve just been blown away by how he does his job, how organized and prepared he is, and how much he loves it. That’s what really comes across to me. He is completely dialed in, loves the sport, and loves telling stories.”
Booth Partners Over the Years
Michaels has worked with eight analysts. Cris Collinsworth partnered with him for 13 seasons, the longest collaboration, while his seven years with John Madden are among the most celebrated pairings. Other analysts include Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf, Dan Fouts, and comedian Dennis Miller.
Dennis Miller’s stint in 2000 and 2001 was the most unique. Michaels explained the challenge: “It was so different than anything else I’ve done in my entire 50-year career. It was not easy because my biggest problem was Dennis had a lot of really good lines, but if I laughed too much, I would sound like a hyena. And if I didn’t laugh, then people would say, Al hates him. Dan is trying to do regular analysis, and we had to adjust and adapt.”
Miller’s most famous line came during the New York Jets’ comeback over the Miami Dolphins in 2000 when Jumbo Elliott caught a touchdown pass to send the game into overtime. “Couldn’t keep him down forever,” Miller said, a moment Michaels described as “phenomenal”.
The Two-Man Booth
Since 2002, Michaels has been in a two-man booth with Madden, a partnership that began when Madden moved from Fox to Monday Night Football. Their first broadcast together was the 2002 Hall of Fame game. The duo stayed together through the move to NBC in 2006 and continued until Madden’s retirement after the 2005 season.
Michaels’ hardest season was 2005, the last on ABC before the show moved to ESPN. After Super Bowl 40, he was traded to NBC in exchange for the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s precursor to Mickey Mouse.
“The Al-Manac” Segment
Prime Video’s broadcasts feature a segment called “The Al-Manac,” where a key moment from a game Michaels has called is shown, and he shares his memories. Mark Teitelman, lead game producer for Thursday Night Football, said Michaels’ history of calling big games and storytelling ability made it a natural addition.
Favorite Game
Michaels’ favorite game remains Super Bowl 43 in 2009 when the Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals. He recalled the game’s highlights: Santonio Holmes’ 6-yard touchdown catch with 35 seconds remaining and James Harrison’s 100-yard interception return on the last play of the first half.
Viewership Milestone
Prime Video is averaging 14.96 million viewers, the most-watched season since a regular Thursday night package started in 2006. That is a 13% increase over last year’s average and a huge leap from the 9.58 million average during Prime Video’s first year in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- Al Michaels has called 779 NFL games, including 11 Super Bowls, tying him for most in history.
- He has worked with eight analysts, the longest with Cris Collinsworth (13 seasons) and seven with John Madden.
- Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football averages nearly 15 million viewers, a 13% rise from the previous year.
Al Michaels’ 40-year tenure as the NFL’s voice of primetime is a testament to his passion, skill, and enduring presence in the world of football broadcasting.
