INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — What do Tom Brady, Taylor Swift and comedy should do with studying about soccer?
Within the case of Nikki Glaser, it’s all intertwined.
Glaser has grow to be a well-known face to soccer followers this season. Her breakthrough efficiency on the Tom Brady Roast on Might 5 paved the way in which for 5 appearances on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Evening Soccer″ postgame present.
Earlier than final Thursday’s recreation between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, Glaser stated doing her “Late Hits″ section was a no brainer following her success on the Brady roast.
“The football audience is kind of familiar with me already. It’s one that is OK with me not knowing every detail about football or expecting me to be an expert about it because I was who I was on the Brady Roast. I kind of admitted to not really following football that much,” Glaser stated. “And I became a fan of Tom Brady and the sport in doing it through that process. So then I was like, ‘Let me just keep learning about football through joking about it.’ And that was kind of my goal.”
Glaser admits her data of soccer isn’t all the way in which there but. Nonetheless, it’s additional forward than it was a 12 months in the past when she began casually watching Chiefs video games attributable to Swift’s relationship with Kansas Metropolis tight finish Travis Kelce.
And largely then, it was to see when Swift appeared on display screen.
Nevertheless, Glaser determined to start out studying extra in regards to the recreation, which she in comparison with attempting to study a brand new language.
“I went my whole life putting on blinders because I was just scared to look stupid if I tried to learn. I always thought football fans would be really judgmental and cruel about my lack of knowledge. But they’re not,″ Glaser said. “They’re eager for you to understand and explain.”
Whereas NFL viewers are used to seeing comedians, these have been largely confined to the pregame exhibits and have been taped segments. Fox Sports activities used Frank Caliendo and Rob Riggle for years, whereas Caliendo has additionally made appearances on ESPN.
Glaser’s appearances on “Thursday Night Football” happened after the video games and are extra like roasts of each groups.
As an alternative of getting at the least every week to check out a joke or hone materials, Glaser and her workforce of writers are arising with materials as the sport is going down.
“I give her and her workforce a ton of credit score as a result of what they did was they took a danger by doing dwell stand-up comedy on a sports activities present. And there’s no means we may have rehearsed what our first one was going to be like. None of us knew what the response can be within the crowd,″ stated Spoon Daftary, senior coordinating producer at Prime Video’s pregame, halftime and postgame exhibits.
In line with Nielsen, Prime’s postgame present is averaging 2.05 million viewers, an 11% enhance over final season. That can also be outdrawing community late-night exhibits.
The opposite important enchancment from Glaser’s first look, which was after the Sept. 19 recreation between the New England Patriots and New York Jets, to final Thursday’s was that the followers who caught round to see the postgame present within the stadium may hear her section and react.
“It’s a perfect balance. Sports is entertainment, so it’s a natural thing to have that aspect incorporated whether it’s pregame or postgame,″ said Charissa Thompson, who hosts the Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows. “I love that we’re willing to try new things, have fun and do things that are unorthodox or not the norm. I’m glad we have a chance to showcase even more of her talents in the sports space.”
Glaser and her workforce engaged on jokes and doing them dwell additionally has served nearly as good preparation for her internet hosting the Golden Globes on Jan. 5, which can air on CBS and Paramount+. Sarcastically, the Golden Globes will come on after CBS Sports activities airs a doubleheader of NFL video games for the ultimate week of the common season.
“It was a perfect training program for the Golden Globes coming up because I’m going to write jokes about things happening during that show, which is something I’ve never done before. I’ve always been someone who, like, really prepares beforehand and knows exactly what they’re going to say,” she stated. “We’re just tossing out these insane jokes that we don’t even have time to go run them at comedy clubs to see if they even work. I mean, we’re finding out live on air if they work or not.”
Glaser isn’t scheduled for any extra appearances on Prime Video’s postgame present this season, however all events can be keen on doing it subsequent 12 months.
“I feel like I’d come to the table with a lot more knowledge about the sport that I got from doing it this year,” she stated. “I find myself now like I’m able to walk by a TV in a bar, and I can watch it and kind of talk about football with people where I can kind of hold my own in conversation, and that is a huge triumph for me.”
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