INGLEWOOD, Calif. – What do Tom Brady, Taylor Swift and comedy must do with studying about soccer?
Within the case of Nikki Glaser, it’s all intertwined.
Glaser has develop into a well-recognized face to soccer followers this season. Her breakthrough efficiency on the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the best way for 5 appearances on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Evening Soccer″ postgame present.
Earlier than last Thursday’s game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, Glaser mentioned doing her “Late Hits″ section was a no brainer following her success on the Brady roast.
“The soccer viewers is form of accustomed to me already. It’s one that’s OK with me not realizing each element about soccer or anticipating me to be an professional about it as a result of I used to be who I used to be on the Brady Roast. I form of admitted to probably not following soccer that a lot,” Glaser mentioned. “And I turned a fan of Tom Brady and the game in doing it by that course of. So then I used to be like, ‘Let me simply continue to learn about soccer by joking about it.’ And that was form of my objective.”
Glaser admits her data of soccer just isn’t all the best way there but. Nonetheless, it’s additional forward than it was a 12 months in the past when she began casually watching Chiefs video games on account of Swift’s relationship with Kansas Metropolis tight finish Travis Kelce.
And largely then, it was to see when Swift appeared on display.
Nevertheless, Glaser determined to begin studying extra concerning the recreation, which she in comparison with making an attempt to be taught a brand new language.
“I went my entire life placing on blinders as a result of I used to be simply scared to look silly if I attempted to be taught. I all the time thought soccer followers could be actually judgmental and merciless about my lack of understanding. However they’re not,″ Glaser mentioned. “They’re keen so that you can perceive and clarify.”
Whereas NFL viewers are used to seeing comedians, these had been largely confined to the pregame reveals 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 Evening Soccer” happened after the video games and are extra like roasts of each groups.
As an alternative of getting no less than per week to check out a joke or hone materials, Glaser and her workforce of writers are developing 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 threat 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 could be within the crowd,″ mentioned Spoon Daftary, senior coordinating producer at Prime Video’s pregame, halftime and postgame reveals.
Based on Nielsen, Prime’s postgame present is averaging 2.05 million viewers, an 11% improve over final season. That can also be outdrawing community late-night reveals.
The opposite vital enchancment from Glaser’s first look, which was after the Sept. 19 game 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 an ideal steadiness. Sports activities is leisure, so it’s a pure factor to have that facet integrated whether or not it’s pregame or postgame,″ mentioned Charissa Thompson, who hosts the Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame reveals. “I like that we’re prepared to attempt new issues, have enjoyable and do issues which can be unorthodox or not the norm. I’m glad we’ve got an opportunity to showcase much more of her abilities within the sports activities house.”
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+. Satirically, 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 an ideal coaching program for the Golden Globes developing as a result of I’m going to jot down jokes about issues occurring throughout that present, which is one thing I’ve by no means executed earlier than. I’ve all the time been somebody who, like, actually prepares beforehand and is aware of precisely what they’re going to say,” she mentioned. “We’re simply tossing out these insane jokes that we don’t even have time to go run them at comedy golf equipment to see in the event that they even work. I imply, we’re discovering out dwell on air in the event that they work or not.”
Glaser just isn’t scheduled for any extra appearances on Prime Video’s postgame present this season, however all events could be keen on doing it subsequent 12 months.
“I really feel like I’d come to the desk with much more data concerning the sport that I acquired from doing it this 12 months,” she mentioned. “I discover myself now like I’m in a position to stroll by a TV in a bar, and I can watch it and form of speak about soccer with folks the place I can form of maintain my very own in dialog, and that could be a big triumph for me.”
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