YouTube has made a groundbreaking move by securing exclusive rights to livestream an NFL game for the 2025 season. This marks the first time that the popular video platform will be broadcasting an NFL game in its entirety for free. The deal further solidifies YouTube’s position as the U.S. home for the NFL’s Sunday Ticket premium package.
The NFL’s Friday night Week 1 game of the upcoming season, scheduled to take place in São Paulo, Brazil on September 5, 2025, will be exclusively streamed on YouTube to most users globally. However, the game will not be available on YouTube in Canada due to an existing streaming deal with Bell Canada, and it will be blacked out in a few other countries. This announcement was made ahead of YouTube’s Brandcast upfront event in New York.
In February, the NFL revealed that it would kick off the 2025 International Games with a Week 1 game at Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, featuring the Los Angeles Chargers as the designated team. The opponent for the Chargers will be announced when the full 2025 NFL schedule is released on May 14.
While the financial details of the deal were not disclosed, it is evident that the NFL remains a highly sought-after property on television. Last year, 45 of the 100 most-watched TV broadcasts in the U.S. were NFL games, highlighting the league’s massive popularity. YouTube’s partnership with the NFL has been growing steadily, with YouTube becoming the exclusive U.S. retailer for the Sunday Ticket out-of-home package starting from the 2023-24 season.
The NFL’s strategy of partnering with streaming platforms is aimed at reaching a younger audience and expanding its global fan base. In addition to YouTube, other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have secured rights to broadcast NFL games. YouTube’s Chief Business Officer, Mary Ellen Coe, expressed excitement about streaming the Friday night game globally for free and promised an interactive viewing experience that only YouTube can offer.
Apart from the Week 1 game, YouTube has also signed a multi-year deal with the NFL for the annual Super Bowl Flag Football game and additional international flag football games. The NFL’s official YouTube channel, launched in 2015, now boasts over 14 million subscribers and features a wide range of content including clips, highlights, game-day compilations, and exclusive original series.
Overall, YouTube’s foray into streaming NFL games marks a significant milestone for both platforms, and fans can expect an engaging and innovative viewing experience when the Friday night game is broadcast live from São Paulo, Brazil.
