YouTube Scores NFL First: Chargers Game In Brazil To Stream Free Worldwide

Alphabet Inc’s GOOG GOOGL YouTube will take its first snap as an NFL broadcaster on Sept. 5, streaming the Los Angeles Chargers' Week 1 opener from São Paulo free to fans worldwide on YouTube and YouTube TV. The international kickoff is the league's first exclusive live game on the platform.

What Happened: "Last year, people spent over 350 million hours watching official NFL content on YouTube," chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe said, promising creators on screen and an "interactive viewing experience."

The Friday night contest will also air on free TV in the clubs' home markets and stream on NFL+ for U.S. phones and via DAZN's NFL Game Pass abroad, mirroring past digital carve-outs.

The debut comes two seasons after YouTube TV wrested NFL Sunday Ticket from DirecTV. The out-of-market bundle now runs up to $378 a season. The streamer also inked a multi-year deal to carry the Super Bowl Flag Football game, deepening Google's live-sports push.

ESPN Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter noted on X that this “marks the first exclusive NFL game to be streamed live and for free in its entirety on YouTube.”

What To Know: Netflix's Christmas Day doubleheader last year drew nearly 65 million U.S. viewers, while Peacock's 2024 Brazil matchup averaged 14.2 million domestically, according to AdWeek.

Without an in-house truck, YouTube will rely on NBC Sports to produce the telecast, echoing NBC's work for Prime Video and CBS's behind-the-camera role on Netflix's holiday slate.

The Chargers' opponent will be revealed when the NFL publishes its 2025 schedule on May 14. As per a report by WSJ, if the experiment scores, league executives hint more stand-alone windows could follow on YouTube.

Price Action: Alphabet Class A closed 0.7% up at $$159.53 on Tuesday, while the Company’s Class C shares ended the day 0.8% higher at $160.89.

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Photo Courtesy: Steve Jacobson On Shutterstock.com