Over the last several years, YouTube has continued to expand its presence in the sports media space through creator-driven content and media rights deals. The transactions involving the National Football League have garnered significant attention in the United States, including a multi-year agreement for NFL Sunday Ticket after rights for the out-of-market package had been held by DirecTV for 29 years. Neal Mohan, the chief executive officer of YouTube, recently addressed why the company decided to pursue this package in conversation with Janice Min, the chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of The Ankler.
Speaking this past Tuesday from Cannes Lions, Mohan referenced the fans and consumers as rationale for inking the deal with the NFL. Expanding the total addressable market for the package was part of the calculus, and he outlined how fans no longer need to have satellite dishes installed on their homes to receive the service. On the contrary, users can access NFL Sunday Ticket with a few taps on their phone, bolstering accessibility and potential reach for both the league and YouTube itself. Mohan also referenced product technical innovation, pointing out the appeal of multiview and other features that have played into the service.
“When the NFL came onto YouTube, despite them being sort of the king of the hill, we aged down their audience because we could actually allow that content now to live alongside all of this other amazing, creator-first sports content that was happening on YouTube,” Mohan said. “And that sort of was the flywheel that we were betting on, that I was betting on, and that we’ve seen happen [on] Sunday Ticket, and gave me conviction then to sort of double down and do this live game as well, and so that’s really a combination. It’s back to that point around the main event, which is the NFL game and all the fandom, creator-driven fandom, living in sort of combination.”
YouTube is going to be the exclusive streaming home of the Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers emanating from São Paulo, Brazil. This will mark the first time that YouTube will be broadcasting the entirety of an NFL game streaming live and exclusively on the platform. The NFL also reached a multiyear partnership with YouTube to produce the annual Super Bowl Flag Football game that features content creators and music artists.
“It’s going to be the first really in front of the paywall, open aperture to the 2 billion users that come to YouTube every single day,” Mohan said. “The NFL is very excited about it, as am I.”
Viewing times for sports content on YouTube proliferated 30% last year, and the company continues to innovate in the space. Mohan explained that YouTube carries two soccer leagues in Brazil, one of which is Paulistão, and introduced a ‘Watch With’ feature that brings the perspectives and fandom of creators accompanying the games. Reflecting on the venture, he cited success with the project and alluded its potential next steps surrounding the YouTube sports portfolio.
“Not only was that TAM-expanding, audience expanding for this incredibly popular sports league, it brought this magical experience of fandom combined with the live event,” Mohan said. “And we actually took that idea and did a pilot of that with NFL Sunday Ticket last season, so expect to see more of that type of creator innovation as well.”
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