Jon Gruden (Via: Yahoo.com)

JonGrudenis making waves with his bold take on theNFL’s $10 billionAmazonPrime deal, and it’s sparking a lot of questions. During an appearance on Pardon My Take, the former coach didn’t hold back, calling out the brutal physical toll Thursday Night Football takes on players and questioning the league’s priorities. But is he onto something, or just stirring the pot? Let’s dive into the controversy that’s got everyone talking.

Gruden’s bold critique

Jon Gruden has ignited a firestorm of debate with his bold criticism of the NFL’s $10 billion Amazon Prime deal. Appearing on Pardon My Take, the former coach called out Thursday Night Football (TNF) for its brutal physical demands on players. “Football is a violent game,” Gruden stated. “This is not Major League Baseball, where we can play a doubleheader and go out and play here. This is not the NBA. No disrespect. But this is a lot of physical contact, man! And a lot of these guys are hurting. They are really sucking it up right now.” His sharp words have raised serious concerns about player safety and the NFL’s tight schedule.
Gruden didn’t stop there, he also slammed the lack of preparation time for teams facing the short-week grind. With little time to study opponents or practice key strategies, he argued that TNF games suffer in both performance and quality. His frustrations extended beyond the field, as he took aim at the broadcast quality, which he believes is compromised by the rushed nature of the schedule.
The controversy intensified when technical issues plagued the NFL’s Christmas Day broadcast, including glitches that silenced key commentary. Meanwhile, Netflix emerged as the surprising victor over Amazon Prime in the holiday viewership battle. As the NFL faces mounting scrutiny, Gruden’s criticism has sparked a broader conversation about whether the league is sacrificing player well-being and broadcast quality in pursuit of lucrative deals.
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Netflix beats Amazon Prime amid backlash

Did you catch the NFL’s Christmas Day games? The Chiefs vs. Steelers game drew 24.1 million viewers, while the Ravens vs. Texans matchup hit 24.3 million, thanks to a jaw-dropping Beyoncé halftime performance that pushed viewership to 27 million. While Netflix outpaced Amazon Prime in streaming, it still fell short of expectations.
Despite its $10 billion deal with the NFL, Netflix faced frustrating buffering issues before the Chiefs-Steelers game even started. Viewers voiced their anger on X (formerly Twitter), with one user commenting,“@netflix is already failing the #NFL @NFL livestream and the game has not even started yet. 😤 @NFL. I knew this would happen based on the Tyson fight experience.” Another chimed in, calling the experience “garbage.” (via: EssentiallySports)
These issues highlight a growing challenge for the NFL: balancing ambitious streaming goals with fan satisfaction. As the league moves forward with new deals, it must resolve these technical glitches to ensure the success of its groundbreaking streaming future.