YouTube will stream the NFL’s Week 1 game in Brazil to a worldwide audience for free, the NFL announced on Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Chargers are scheduled to play at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on Friday, Sept. 5. Their opponent has been rumored to be the Kansas City Chiefs, but the NFL is not releasing its full schedule until Wednesday night.
This will mark the first exclusive NFL game to be streamed live and for free in its entirety on YouTube and YouTube TV.
“We are excited to expand our relationship with YouTube to bring this year’s Brazil game to a worldwide audience,” said Hans Schroeder, the NFL’s executive vice president of media distribution. “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 Sao Paulo.”
The NFL played its first game in Brazil to help kick off the 2024 season, with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Green Bay Packers 34-29 in Sao Paulo on Sept. 6.
YouTube and YouTube TV have been the home of NFL Sunday Ticket since the start of the 2023 season. The NFL’s official YouTube channel has more than 14 million subscribers.
“Last year, people spent over 350 million hours watching official NFL content on YouTube, so it’s both fitting and thrilling to continue to build our relationship with our partners at the NFL,” said Mary Ellen Coe, chief business officer for YouTube.
“Streaming the Friday night game to fans for free around the world will mark YouTube’s first time as a live NFL broadcaster — 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.”
