The NFL partnered with YouTube creator MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) for the platform’s first-ever exclusive NFL broadcast, featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, in São Paulo, Brazil, on September 5. The collaboration represents a novelty in sports broadcasting strategy, making the game freely accessible to YouTube’s global audience of 2.5 billion monthly active users.

“Friday night’s YouTube exclusive will be the most accessible game in NFL history,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a press release before the match. “Integrating MrBeast and some of the world’s top creators will make this free experience even more special for fans of all ages.”

The partnership included a promotional commercial where Donaldson humorously claimed to have “bought the entire NFL” and expanded roster sizes to include YouTubers on each team. During the broadcast, Donaldson appeared in multiple segments and announced an in-game challenge with a prize revealed during the post-game show.

Despite the importance of reaching new audiences, many traditional NFL viewers expressed frustration with MrBeast’s prominent presence throughout the broadcast.

“I would pay @DIRECTV 3x what I currently pay in order to skip all this 12-year-old MrBeast garbage,” wrote one viewer on social media. Another commented, “I’ve managed to dodge this MrBeast character until today. F**k you very much, YouTube.”

Some viewers drew comparisons to the league’s coverage of Taylor Swift during Kansas City Chiefs games last season, with one fan noting, “I thought Taylor Swift crashing the NFL was bad, but MrBeast is way worse.”

Creator Integration Strategy

The NFL’s creator-focused approach aligns with findings from a recent STN Digital report, which indicates personality-driven content consistently outperforms traditional sports content across major leagues. The report shows the NFL has found particular success on TikTok, where 39 of the league’s top 50 posts appeared, averaging 1.4 million engagements per post.

YouTube integrated several creators into the broadcast beyond MrBeast, including iShowSpeed (Darren Watkins Jr.) and Tom Grossi, who hosted alternative English-language commentary streams. Former UCF kicker and YouTube creator “Deestroying” (Donald De La Haye) joined NFL Network reporter Stacey Dales on the sidelines.

The main broadcast featured NFL Network host Rich Eisen and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, with studio coverage including Kay Adams, Cam Newton, Derek Carr, Brandon Marshall, Tyrann Mathieu, and creator Peter Overzet.

Distribution and Audience Strategy

The YouTube broadcast streamed free globally, with exceptions in Canada due to existing agreements with Bell Canada, and blackouts in several other countries. This represents the NFL’s first regular-season game without broadcast or paid streaming access requirements.

The partnership leverages YouTube’s extensive platform reach as streaming continues to grow in importance. A Nielsen survey indicates streaming now accounts for nearly half of all TV viewing, with YouTube alone representing more than 13% of total TV consumption.

NFL content generated more than 350 million viewing hours on YouTube in 2024, with the league’s official channel surpassing 14 million subscribers. This achievement demonstrates the platform’s importance to the league’s broader media strategy, which targets younger and international audiences.