NFL 2022 Season: How to Watch Bills vs. Rams on TV, Streaming and the Changes You Will Notice

Here is a look at the changes, and where to find NFL broadcasts.

How can I watch Thursday night’s NFL game?

Tonight’s kickoff game is on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Mike Tirico will broadcast the game along with longtime analyst Cris Collinsworth.

Wait, where is Al Michaels?

Mr. Michaels, who had been the calming football voice for NBC since 2006, left the network after last season to helm Thursday Night Football. Which brings us to…

Where is Thursday Night Football?

The NFL’s Thursday night franchise has bounced around the broadcast networks and the NFL Network for the past several years. This year, it will move to Amazon Prime Video, which will become its home. It is a bit confusing because NBC has the first game of the season—on a Thursday—but that is technically considered part of its “Sunday Night Football” package. Amazon takes over Thursdays starting Sept. 15 and will stream 15 games per season, paying around $1 billion annually for the rights. DirecTV will provide a feed of those games to many bars and restaurants.

Who is with Al Michaels in the booth, and is Amazon up to the task?

Working alongside Mr. Michaels is ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit. The executive producer is Fred Gaudelli, considered one of the best in the business with more than three decades of experience producing prime-time NFL football. NBC Sports is also very involved in the production, so the game is in good hands. In addition, Amazon Prime is filling the screen with plenty of stats for all you fantasy nuts. This isn’t Amazon’s first foray into sports. It also streams WNBA games, select New York Yankee games, the Premier League in the UK and New Zealand cricket in India.

How do I watch Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video?

For Amazon Prime Subscribers, the game will be part of your package. You can watch it on your computer or your TV, if you have a streaming media device or smart TV with the Prime Video app. And if you’re looking for a less-traditional telecast, Amazon has tapped Dude Perfect, a sports-comedy team, to provide its own coverage on a separate feed of the game.

If you don’t have Amazon Prime Video and your home team is on “Thursday Night Football,” don’t worry. Games will still be shown on local over-the-air television in the home markets of the two teams playing.

Did any other broadcasters switch teams in the offseason?

ESPN snagged Fox’s Joe Buck and Troy Aikman to anchor its “Monday Night Football” telecast. The booth of “Monday Night Football” has been something of a revolving door over the past several seasons. ESPN is looking to add some stability with the high-profile announcing team. Peyton and Eli Manning will also still be doing their own coverage of the game on ESPN2.

At Fox, Kevin Burkhardt will succeed Mr. Buck as lead play-by-play analyst, with Greg Olsen joining as color commentator. Next year, there could be another seismic shift in Fox’s booth if Tom Brady retires after this season and makes good on his deal with the network to be its top color commentator.

Are other tech companies getting into football?

This is the final year of DirecTV’s deal to carry Sunday Ticket, the NFL package that allows fans to watch all Sunday afternoon games being played outside their home market. Several tech companies have expressed interest in landing Sunday Ticket, including Amazon, Apple and Google’s YouTube, according to people familiar with the talks. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Wall Street Journal in July that he anticipates a deal being done by the end of the year.

Where can I stream NFL games, other than Amazon’s Thursday package?

All major broadcasters have the right to stream certain games. Peacock, which like NBC is owned by Comcast Corp., has rights to stream “Sunday Night Football.” Paramount+, the sister service to CBS,

will also carry games. Fox makes games available for streaming via its Fox Sports app. The ESPN+ service will have rights to air one exclusive game every season and will be able to simulcast games ESPN airs on TV. Meanwhile, the NFL is entering the fray with its own service, NFL+, which offers access to live in-market Sunday afternoon games as well as national games in prime time on Sunday, Monday and Thursday nights. There is one catch: The games on NFL+ can only be viewed using a tablet or mobile phone, not a regular TV set.

What are the big stories heading into this season that the NFL hopes will drive ratings?

The biggest story for the NFL took place off the field as the league settled on an 11-game suspension and $5 million fine for quarterback Deshaun Watson, who was accused of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions. Mr. Watson, who has denied wrongdoing, signed with the Cleveland Browns in the offseason. Mr. Watson won’t get on the field until late November at the earliest. Meanwhile, former Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has joined the Carolina Panthers.

In addition to the move by Russell Wilson, other quarterbacks who switched teams were Carson Wentz, who is now the latest hope for the Washington Commanders, and Matt Ryan, who went from the Atlanta Falcons to the Indianapolis Colts. The biggest story line, though, will continue to be whether Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady can continue to defy Father Time at age 45.