For the first time ever, the NFL will exclusively be streaming a regular-season game in its entirety on YouTube and the best part is that it will be free. The Google-owned company will get to show the Week 1 game in Brazil which will feature the Los Angeles Chargers as the home team.
The NFL put the TV rights for the Brazilian game up for bid, which has how YouTube was able to come away with them. YouTube beat out multiple other media companies, including Warner Brothers Discovery (TNT Sports), and Amazon. Last year, the NFL’s first ever game in Brazil was shown on exclusively on Peacock.
The game will also be shown on YouTube TV for NFL fans who have a subscription to that service.
As for the game itself, the Chargers are expected to face the Kansas City Chiefs, according to multiple reports, but the matchup won’t be officially announced until Wednesday. No matter who they face, the game will be kicking off on Friday, Sept. 5 at 8:15 p.m. ET on YouTube.
NFL schedule 2025: Full list of how many miles every team will travel and time zones each will cross
Jordan Dajani
YouTube and YouTube TV have been the NFL’s exclusive home for Sunday Ticket since 2023, and now, the streaming company will be adding an exclusive regular-season game to its NFL portfolio. The NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution, Hans Schroeder, said one reason the league likes YouTube because of its “immense global reach.”
“We are excited to expand our relationship with YouTube to bring this year’s Brazil game to a worldwide audience,” Schroeder said in a statement. “YouTube and YouTube TV have been incredible partners of the NFL for several years and boast an immense global reach, and we look forward to Week 1 in São Paulo.”
For Sunday Ticket, YouTube uses a feed from CBS or Fox to show a game, but in Brazil, the company will get to put its own spin on the broadcast, according to Mary Elle Coe, YouTube’s chief business officer pointed out.
“Streaming the Friday night game to fans for free around the world will mark YouTube’s first time as a live NFL broadcaster,” Coe said. “And we’ll do it in a way that only YouTube can, with an interactive viewing experience and creators right at the center of the experience.”
This marks the second year in a row that the NFL has added a new streaming partner for regular-season games. Last season, Netflix signed a three-year deal to stream Christmas games, which was a huge success. The late game between the Ravens and Texans averaged 24.3 million viewers, which is the highest streaming audience ever for an NFL regular-season game. Although NFL fans had to pay for Netflix to watch that game, YouTube is free to anyone who has the internet, so the streaming record could be broken.
Although YouTube is worldwide, the NFL did note that there will be some exceptions. The game will be available on YouTube globally, “except in Canada and certain other countries. Game available on mobile devices in the United States with an NFL+ subscription, and outside the United States through NFL Game Pass on DAZN for paid subscribers.”
The game will also be available on free, over-the-air broadcast television in the local markets of the participating clubs.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings