Michael Smith is very far from the New England Patriots training camp and that makes him unhappy.
It didn’t matter that Smith, then in his mid-20s and covering the NFL for the Boston Globe, was assigned to the 2003 World Track and Field Championships in Paris, France, with his girlfriend (now wife) beside him.
“He was like, ‘Are you serious?'” Smith told USA TODAY Sports via video call.
The NFL was his first love in the business. his thing. It is always like that. Still.
That’s especially true at this time – 19 years later – with Amazon’s Prime Video hiring Smith as news analyst for its “Thursday Night Football” studio coverage. Smith will be part of the pre-match, halftime and post-match shows hosted by Charissa Thompson with Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman as analysts.
“This is a full circle moment. It goes back to my roots in many ways. I’ve always wanted to be a part of national broadcast … and here I am,” said Smith, who spent 15 years (2004-2019) on ESPN, first as a an NFL insider and later as a commentator and host on various programs.
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
NFL RECORD PROJECTIONS: How will each team perform during the 2022 season?
At ESPN, Smith works with Prime Video’s vice president of global video Marie Donoghue, who says Smith “has an extraordinary journalistic background.”
“We really think that adding a reporter with Michael Smith’s journalism credentials is really important for viewers to contextualize stories around the NFL,” Donoghue told USA TODAY Sports.
Smith is no stranger to pregame shows. She is a contributor to ESPN’s “NFL Sunday Countdown”, produced by Amina Hussein – now Prime Video’s head of US sports talent and development. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, wants to be the next Chris Mortensen.
It didn’t happen, and he would never suggest being Mortensen from Prime Video, but the bottom line is that he’s fulfilling a dream.
“It was just a matter of convincing them that I was the one,” Smith joked.
Smith says that he’s always kept an eye on CBS and Fox programming, and he’s worked at NBC Sports since 2020 and has become familiar with “Football Night in America.”
“It felt like a natural progression to me,” Smith, who hosts and executive produces the sporting, current and cultural event “Brother From Another” at Peacock. (Smith says a “redrawn and bigger” deal with NBC is being finalized.)
“I’ve worked a long time to get to this point,” said Smith. “I appreciate Prime Video knowing what I’m bringing to the table and giving me a seat at their table.”
Smith rose to national prominence as a panelist on the popular debate night show “Around The Horn.” He hosted various programs, most notably “His & Hers” with Jemele Hill. The pair started hosting at 6pm. The ET edition of “SportsCenter,” renamed “SC6” in 2017. Hill departed 12 months later and Smith hosted the solo version until May 2018 before being replaced; he and ESPN reached a purchase agreement next year.
The streaming service that exclusively airs “Thursday Night Football” is an example of how much has changed in the media since Smith began covering the NFL in 2001. But that’s the part that appeals to him.
“I feel like I’m part of this team, this company, this moment, this switch to (Prime Video) exclusively streaming the NFL on Thursday nights, that journey brings me here all the time,” said Smith.
“This is a great opportunity I’ve had for a while,” said Smith. “I haven’t been excited about anything in a while. And it’s not just how famous it is, it’s really the people.”
Thompson and Smith previously worked together on ESPN2’s “Numbers Never Lie” (which was eventually rebranded as “His & Hers”) and “neither makes work feel less like work than Charissa,” said Smith.
At a recent summit at Prime Video studios in Los Angeles, Smith bonded with former player analysts he covered at various points in their careers and has also known feature reporter Taylor Rooks for a long time. Smith said nothing was more “real” than contributor Aqib Talib and called Andrew Whitworth, another contributor, one of the best teammates in football history.
“I’m telling you, and I don’t mean to set the bar too high, but I caught a glimpse of what we had… and the chemistry was amazing,” Smith said. “I thought we were going to start running and people would look at us and say this is one of the best teams on sports television right out of the gate. That’s what we were looking for.”
Donoghue said there would be no limit on which topics Smith could comment on or report on. Smith plans to combine his reporting acumen with his ability to think critically and his own opinions. Prime Video hired him for that reason.
“They know exactly who I am,” he said. “They know my job. They know exactly what I’ve done and what I bring to the table and the versatility I bring to the table.”
After decades of being on television, Smith has respect across the board and his perspective is well regarded throughout the league. The job description, says Smith, is “Be Michael Smith.”
“I’ve been successfully shaping that world as a commentator and analyst and as a reporter for about 20 years now,” said Smith. “They know exactly how I do my job and that’s what they’re looking for.
“That’s exactly what I was looking for too.”
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
