YouTube has secured exclusive rights to stream the NFL’s Friday night Week 1 game from São Paulo, Brazil on September 5, 2025. The deal marks the first time YouTube will live stream an NFL game for free in its entirety, building on the platform’s existing role as the U.S. home for the NFL’s Sunday Ticket premium package.

The game, featuring the Los Angeles Chargers as the designated home team, will be available globally on YouTube and YouTube TV, with the exception of Canada – due to the NFL’s existing streaming agreement with Bell Canada – and blackouts in several other countries.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with YouTube to bring this year’s Brazil game to a worldwide audience,” Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s EVP of Media Distribution, said in a press release. “YouTube and YouTube TV have been incredible partners of the NFL for several years and boast an immense global reach.”

In 2024, YouTube users spent more than 350 million hours watching official NFL content on the platform. The NFL’s official YouTube channel, launched in 2015, now has over 14 million subscribers.

As Variety notes, the streaming partnership extends the NFL’s recent media strategy of carving out rights for streaming platforms to expand reach to younger fans and international audiences. Netflix secured Christmas Day games for 2025, while Amazon’s Prime Video continues its “Thursday Night Football” coverage through 2033.

Creator Strategy Drives Youth Engagement

The deal aligns with the NFL’s broader creator-first strategy under Ian Trombetta, SVP of Social, Influencer/Creator & Content Marketing. The league positions creators at the center of its mission to connect with younger audiences.

“Social media and creators are often the conduits to reach younger fans,” Trombetta recently told Net Influencer. “We can expose them to our players, teams, games, and partners in ways relevant for today’s day and age.”

In addition to the Brazil game rights, YouTube has a multi-year agreement with the NFL for the annual Super Bowl Flag Football game featuring creators and artists. Their first live-streamed flag football event with Kai Cenat and iShowSpeed at Super Bowl LIX garnered over 6 million live views across NFL and creator channels.