"Refreshing": Leafs fans loved new Prime Video streaming broadcast
If the executives at Prime Video were looking to endear themselves to the Toronto Maple Leafs fan base, Monday night’s game appeared to be a smashing success.
While sports fans are often conservative in their viewing habits and not necessarily open to new ways to watch the game, the same can’t be said about the NHL’s new Monday Night Hockey show that saw its first Leafs game on the platform last night.
A poll from The Athletic’s James Mirtle showed that 77% of poll respondents liked the new setup in Toronto’s 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Do you like the Amazon NHL broadcast tonight?
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) October 22, 2024
And the response appeared near-universal, based on what was trending on X about the game.
One prevailing thought was the broadcast team of John Forslund, Jody Shelley, Shane Hnidy, and Thomas Hickey seemed to be more complimentary of Toronto, rather than a perceived distaste for the team that often comes from other broadcasters.
i hate to admit it… the quality on prime is FIRE
— amanda (@amandatimpson_) October 21, 2024
I think the funniest fucking thing about this Amazon broadcast is like they won a giant ass fanbase over in like 10 whole minutes by just being like “eh yea the Leafs are pretty good”
— BRiCk (@Accept_Crime_) October 22, 2024
Prime immediately doing a better Leafs broadcast than Sportsnet is so funny
— MR. MITCH (@gladstoned420) October 22, 2024
'so impressed with the Leafs right now'
I honestly don't think I've ever heard that from a canadian broadcast.— beer league hero (@beerleague_hero) October 22, 2024
It’s so weird to hear a broadcast team be complimentary of the Leafs
— John Cullen (@cullenthecomic) October 22, 2024
A broadcaster in an intermission thinks the Leafs will win the Atlantic
I’m flabbergasted
I was told by Craig Simpson and Kevin Bieksa that the Leafs are terrible
— The North Team™️ (@tmlfaninvan) October 22, 2024
Dear Amazon: please take all NHL games from Sportsnet immediately
— The Panic (Passion) returns (@persoNatalied) October 22, 2024
could i get a prime stream of every leafs game actually
— kait (taylor’s version) (@witchmarner) October 22, 2024
Amazon Prime needs to buy tf out of the Maple Leafs broadcasting rights
— Knies Fan Page (@Psychosomaniac) October 22, 2024
I do be liking watching the Leafs on Prime rn I can’t lie
— kenny (@ken___64) October 22, 2024
Another common win for the fans was the team’s new Home Ice Access feature, which offered viewers “an opportunity to experience the arena’s sights and sounds before each Prime Monday Night Hockey game, with multiple cameras showing live views inside the building, including the concourse, locker-room level corridors, fan arrivals, and a ‘seat on the glass’ for player warm-ups.”
Hey @TSN_Sports , @Sportsnet & @CBC how about you take a page from @PrimeVideo hosting leafs games. Warmups without blabbering on. announcers IN the arena talking about the game on hand. Honestly at this point, I want ALL #LeafsForever games on Amazon Prime. pic.twitter.com/RRSlsuKHc5
— Tyler Smith 🇨🇦🏴☠️ (@TJ_Smizzy) October 22, 2024
K the Amazon prime coverage is literally perfect. It’s like I’m in the arena watching the warmup. Why has it taken so long for a programmer to just be like “live arena feed”
— jake nogilny (@jakebeleafs) October 21, 2024
Amazon Prime Maple Leafs coverage making Sportsnet and TSN look like moldy bread.
— Ari Shapiro (@ari_shapiro) October 22, 2024
However, the positive experience wasn’t entirely universal, with a few users reporting a poor picture, though that could be due to a weak internet connection rather than something on Prime’s end.
Just turned on the leafs game on prime what horrible viewing not clear at all terrible back to regular tv please
— ML (@swontariogirl) October 22, 2024
Last night’s contest is the first of six Leafs regular season games on Prime Video, with Sportsnet Ontario (14 games) and TSN (26 games) splitting the club’s regional broadcasts.
The next game you’ll need a Prime subscription for is next week on October 28, when the Leafs take on the Winnipeg Jets. December 2 (Chicago), January 20 (Tampa Bay), March 3 (San Jose), and March 17 (Calgary) are the remaining Leafs games that will be streaming-only English broadcasts on Prime.
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