Michael Smith was an entire ocean away from New England Patriots training camp and that made him unhappy.
It didn’t matter that Smith, then in his mid-20s and covering the NFL for the Boston Globe, was on assignment at the 2003 World Track and Field Championships in Paris, France, with his girlfriend (now wife) by his side. to him
“It’s like, ‘Are you serious?’ “” Smith told USA TODAY Sports in a video call.
The NFL was his first love in this business. His thing. Always has been. It always is.
That’s especially true at this moment — 19 years later — with Amazon’s Prime Video hiring Smith as a news analyst for its “Thursday Night Football” studio coverage. Smith will be part of the pregame, halftime and postgame shows hosted by Charissa Thompson with Tony Gonzalez, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Richard Sherman as analysts.
“It’s a full circle moment. It’s back to my roots in many respects. I’ve always wanted to be a part of a national telecast & mldr; and here I am,” said Smith, who spent 15 years (2004-2019 ) at ESPN, first as an NFL insider and later as a commentator and host on a variety of programs.
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At ESPN, Smith worked with Prime Video vice president of global video Marie Donoghue, who said Smith “has an incredible journalistic background.”
“We really think that adding a reporter with the journalism credentials that Michael Smith has is really important for viewers to contextualize the stories surrounding the NFL,” Donoghue told USA TODAY Sports.
Smith is no stranger to a pregame show. He was a contributor to “NFL Sunday Countdown” on ESPN, which Amina Hussein – now the head of US on-air sports talent and development at Prime Video – produced. The New Orleans, Louisiana native wanted to be the next Chris Mortensen.
That did not happen, and I would never suggest being the Mortensen of Prime Video, but his point is that he fulfilled a dream.
“It was just a matter of convincing myself I was the guy,” Smith joked.
Smith said he still pays attention to CBS and Fox programs, and has worked at NBC Sports since 2020 and is familiar with “Football Night in America.”
“It feels like a natural progression for me,” said Smith, who hosts and produces a sports, current affairs and culture show “Brother From Another” on Peacock. (Smith said a “reimagined and larger” deal with NBC has been finalized).
“I’ve worked a long time to get to this point,” Smith said. “I appreciate Prime Video knowing what I bring to the table and giving me a seat at their table.”
Smith gained national prominence as a panelist on the popular evening talk show “Around The Horn.” He co-hosted various programs, notably “His & Hers” alongside Jemele Hill. The couple began hosting at 6 p.m. ET edition of “SportsCenter”, rebranded to “SC6” in 2017. Hill left 12 months later and Smith hosted a one-man version until May 2018 before being replaced; he and ESPN reached a purchase agreement the following year.
A streaming service that exclusively broadcasts “Thursday Night Football” is an example of how much has changed in media since Smith began covering the NFL in 2001. But that’s the exciting part for him.
“I feel like being a part of this team, this company, this moment, this change to (Prime Video) exclusively streaming the NFL on Thursday nights, the journey was taking me here all the time,” Smith said.
“This is as great an opportunity as I’ve had in a while,” Smith said. “I haven’t been this excited about anything in a while. And it’s not just how high profile it is, it’s really the people.”
Thompson and Smith previously worked together on ESPN2’s “Numbers Never Lie” (which was eventually renamed “His & Hers”) and “no one makes work feel less work than Charissa,” Smith said.
At a recent summit at Prime Video studios in Los Angeles, Smith connected with former player analysts who he has covered at various points in his career and has also known reporter Taylor Rooks for a long time. . Smith said no one is more “real” than contributor Aqib Talib and called Andrew Whitworth, another contributor, one of the best teammates in football history.
“I’ll tell you, and I don’t mean to set the bar too high, but I’ve seen a glimpse of what we have … and the chemistry is amazing,” Smith said. “I think we’re going to hit the ground running and people are going to look at us and say this is one of the best teams in sports television right out of the gate. That’s what we’re trying to be.”
Donoghue said there will be no restrictions on what topics Smith can comment on or report on. Smith plans to blend his reporting skills with his critical thinking skills and opinions. Prime Video hired him for that.
“They know exactly who I am,” he said. “They know my body of work. They know exactly what I’ve done and what I bring to the table and the versatility that 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, Smith said, is “Be Michael Smith.”
“I’ve managed to shape those worlds as a commentator and analyst and as a reporter for about 20 years,” Smith said. “They knew exactly how I did my job and that’s exactly what they were looking for.
“It was exactly what I was looking for too.”
Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.
