Al Michaels

Al Michaels
Born	Alan Richard Michaels 11/12/1944
Birthplace	Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Sports commentator
Employer	Amazon Prime Video (2022–present)
Known for	Miracle on Ice call, Monday Night Football, Thursday Night Football
Education	Arizona State University
Children	2
Awards	Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award (2013)

Alan Richard Michaels (born November 12, 1944), known professionally as Al Michaels, is an American television sportscaster who's been calling play-by-play for more than five decades. He's the current lead voice of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime Video and holds an emeritus role with NBC Sports. Michaels burst onto the national scene during the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid with his exuberant call: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The moment came as the United States men's ice hockey team defeated the Soviet Union, and it became one of the most celebrated instances in American sports broadcasting history. Over his career, he's been the primary play-by-play announcer for ABC's Monday Night Football (1986–2005), NBC's Sunday Night Football (2006–2021), and Amazon Prime Video's Thursday Night Football (2022–present). In December 2025, he marked 40 years as the voice of the NFL's premier prime-time broadcasts, a record no other announcer in professional football has matched. He's called numerous Super Bowls, World Series games, NBA Finals contests, and Stanley Cup Finals matchups. That versatility makes him one of the most accomplished play-by-play announcers in television history.

Early Life

Al Michaels was born on November 12, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York City. Growing up meant being around sports and entertainment. Baseball captured his heart early, a passion that shaped his early years in broadcasting. When his family moved to Los Angeles, California, he spent his formative years there and got serious about sportscasting.

He's been open about his lifelong love of baseball, especially the Cincinnati Reds from the early 1970s. In a 2026 interview, he said the Reds of that era, including Pete Rose and the famed "Big Red Machine," remain his favorite Major League Baseball team "in his heart of hearts." That connection to Cincinnati? It came from his early broadcasting work there. He called Reds games before reaching the national stage.

Education

Arizona State University in Tempe is where Michaels developed his broadcast skills. He studied there, graduated, and set his sights on sports media work.

Career

Early Broadcasting Career (1964–1976)

His professional broadcasting career started in 1964. The early years meant grinding it out in local and regional markets. He called Cincinnati Reds games, work that forged his lasting bond with that franchise and the Big Red Machine teams of the early 1970s. Those Cincinnati years gave him deep experience in baseball play-by-play and helped him build a reputation as a rising talent.

In 1971, he joined NBC Sports and stayed through 1974, getting his first taste of network television. A brief stint at CBS Sports followed in 1975. Then came ABC in 1977, where he'd spend nearly three decades and establish himself as one of the top voices in American sports.

ABC Sports and the Miracle on Ice (1977–2005)

When Michaels joined ABC Sports in 1977, he didn't have to wait long for his most famous moment. Three years. On February 22, 1980, at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, Michaels was behind the microphone as the United States men's ice hockey team beat the heavily favored Soviet Union 4–3 in a semifinal game. The team was mostly amateurs and college players. The Soviets? They were the best in the world. As the final seconds counted down, Michaels delivered the words that would define his career: "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!" The call came wrapped in Cold War tension and national pride. It resonated far beyond hockey and is now considered one of the greatest moments in American broadcasting history.

He kept expanding his reach at ABC. Baseball, football, basketball, hockey. He covered them all. Few play-by-play announcers could work across such a wide range of sports.

Monday Night Football

In 1986, Michaels became the lead voice for ABC's Monday Night Football, the NFL's flagship prime-time show. For nearly two decades, from 1986 through 2005, he called hundreds of games and countless historic moments. Monday Night Football was one of American television's biggest draws during that era. Michaels's steady, authoritative voice became inseparable from the broadcast itself.

Throughout his tenure, he worked alongside several prominent color commentators. He earned a reputation for matching the weight of big moments with precise, memorable language, then shifting to an easy conversational tone during routine plays.

The 1989 World Series Earthquake

October 17, 1989. Michaels was calling Game 3 of the 1989 World Series for ABC. The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics were at Candlestick Park. Then the Loma Prieta earthquake struck, a magnitude 6.9 jolt that hit minutes before the first pitch. The way Michaels handled the crisis was later recognized as a masterclass in live broadcasting under impossible circumstances. He stayed calm and informative as the broadcast was interrupted. The earthquake caused serious damage across the Bay Area. Michaels kept the national audience updated and grounded as they watched the disaster unfold in real time. The game was postponed. The Series was delayed ten days. But his handling of that moment added another landmark event to his résumé.

The Disney-NBC Trade (2006)

In 2006, something unusual happened in the broadcasting world. Michaels moved from ABC to NBC. It happened as part of a deal between The Walt Disney Company (which owned ABC and ESPN) and NBCUniversal. NBC got Michaels and his services for its new Sunday Night Football package. In return, Disney received the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, an early cartoon character created by Walt Disney that Universal had owned since 1928. The media couldn't get enough of it. It became one of the strangest personnel moves in television history.

NBC Sunday Night Football (2006–2021)

At NBC, Michaels became the lead voice of Sunday Night Football, which replaced Monday Night Football as the NFL's top prime-time broadcast. He held that job from 2006 through the 2021 season, 16 years total. Sunday Night Football consistently ranked among America's highest-rated programs. It often finished as the most-watched prime-time series in the United States.

During his NBC years, Michaels called multiple Super Bowls. He was the voice most closely tied to prime-time professional football in America. His partnership with color commentator Cris Collinsworth became one of the longest-running and most recognized broadcast teams in NFL history.

NBC gave him work beyond football too. In 2015, the network brought boxing back to prime time. Michaels served as host.

Amazon Prime Video and Thursday Night Football (2022–present)

In 2022, Michaels moved to Amazon Prime Video as the lead play-by-play announcer for Thursday Night Football. Amazon's NFL package streams exclusively. He became the lead voice for the first major NFL broadcast to air only on a streaming platform. That marked another evolution in his already remarkable career.

In January 2026, Amazon Prime Video confirmed that Michaels would return for the 2026 NFL season. The announcement came amid public discussion about his performance. Some media outlets questioned whether his delivery had declined. Fellow broadcaster Joe Buck stepped in to defend him. "I don't think it's fair," Buck said.

By December 2025, the Associated Press noted something significant. Michaels had reached 40 years as the play-by-play announcer for the NFL's prime-time broadcasts. That span covered his work on Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Thursday Night Football.

Multi-Sport Broadcasting

Michaels has always been known for working across multiple sports at the highest levels. Beyond his NFL portfolio, he's called World Series games, NBA Finals broadcasts, Stanley Cup Finals telecasts, and Olympic events. His baseball work included games for MLB Network, where he worked with Bob Costas in 2011. He's also worked hockey broadcasts, including NHL coverage.

Personal Life

Michaels has two children. His personal life has stayed relatively private compared to his public profile.

In April 2013, he was arrested in Santa Monica, California, on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence. Multiple news outlets reported the incident.

His affection for the Cincinnati Reds hasn't faded. He's cited the Big Red Machine era as formative to his love of baseball. In a 2026 interview, he described the Reds as still being his team "in his heart of hearts." That reflects the deep connection he formed during his early years calling Cincinnati games.

Recognition

Michaels has won numerous accolades throughout his career. In 2013, he received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's one of the most prestigious honors in football broadcasting. The award recognized his decades of contributions to the sport's television presentation.

The American Sportscasters Association has ranked him among the top sportscasters in American history. He appears on their list of the top 50 sportscasters of all time.

That "Do you believe in miracles?" call from 1980 has been referenced and celebrated in American pop culture for over four decades. Films, documentaries, retrospectives of great sports moments. It's everywhere. The call transcended hockey and became part of the broader cultural memory of the era.

In 2025, the Associated Press described Michaels as having reached a remarkable milestone. He'd completed 40 years of calling the NFL's prime-time games and was "still going strong."

Legacy

Al Michaels has spent more than six decades in professional sports broadcasting. That longevity places him among the most enduring figures in American television history. His connection to prime-time NFL football stretches from Monday Night Football to Sunday Night Football to Thursday Night Football. It covers the full arc of how professional football became the dominant force in American entertainment programming.

The 1980 "Miracle on Ice" call is the single moment most people associate with Michaels's career. The spontaneity and emotion came through in those few words, delivered in the final seconds of a game that symbolized geopolitical tensions and national pride. It demonstrated his ability to capture the magnitude of a moment. Decades later, it's still the subject of continued media attention. Michaels has discussed it in interviews as recently as 2026.

His move to Amazon Prime Video in 2022 marked another chapter. Michaels became the lead voice for the first exclusively streamed NFL package. Fellow broadcaster Joe Buck has cited him as a standard-bearer for the profession. Buck defended Michaels against recent criticism, noting the unfairness of judging a career of his magnitude by individual broadcasts.

That unusual 2006 trade has become legendary. Disney sent Michaels to NBC in exchange for rights to the cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It's a frequently cited story in discussions of sports media business. It shows both the value networks place on top talent and the idiosyncratic nature of corporate entertainment negotiations.

With his confirmed return to Thursday Night Football for the 2026 season, Michaels continues working at the highest level of American sports broadcasting at age 81. That endurance reflects both his continued commitment to the profession and Amazon's confidence in his ability to anchor their NFL coverage.