NFL television history will be made on Friday with the first-ever NFL regular season game to stream free worldwide on YouTube. The game, pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Los Angeles Chargers, will air live at 8:00 p.m. from Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil, and can also be viewed on YouTube TV and NFL+.
The NFL’s second annual Brazil game signals the onset of a season-long partnership between the NFL and YouTube.
It is another step for the NFL. A league that has been at the forefront of international play and moving games from network television and cable to streaming services.
Spreading The Chiefs Kingdom
The Chiefs have become the NFL’s marquee team with their immense success over the past few years, led by superstars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The latter’s quite-public romance with Taylor Swift has added to Kansas City’s luster.
Chiefs’ President Mark Donovan is clearly excited to take the team’s profile to an even higher level with Friday’s game emanating from Brazil. “We’re thrilled to team up with YouTube as the presenting partner of our season kickoff campaign,” said Donovan in a press release. “This partnership not only highlights the excitement of opening the season in Brazil but also allows us to connect with fans globally through a platform that’s transforming how people experience live sports.”
Wes Harris, Director of Connected TV Marketing at YouTube, agrees.
“Chiefs Kingdom is a passionate, global fanbase, and we’re excited to give their season kickoff an international stage. This is more than a game; it’s the future of football. It’s open for everyone around the world to enjoy for free on YouTube.”
YouTube was also a presenting partner for the Chiefs’ preseason game vs. Seattle back on August 15, and the four-time Super Bowl champs are all in on Brazil.
As part of the pregame fanfare on site, the team created Chiefs’ House Brazil, calling it “an immersive fan hub” experience in São Paulo. It features live entertainment, food and refreshments, and appearances by former Kansas City players and the Chiefs’ Cheerleaders.
Needless to say, owner Clark Hunt and the Kansas City public relations machine are in full multimedia force. The ESPN original series The Kingdom has been giving viewers a behind-the-scenes, close-up, and nosy look at the inner workings of the club during its 2024 AFC Title season. The team’s YouTube collaboration has also resulted in The Franchise. A chronology of the Chiefs’ 2025 campaign that airs on the team’s official YouTube channel.
A Charged Up Brazil
Not to be outdone, the Los Angeles Chargers have also jumped on the NFL’s international bandwagon. The erstwhile residents of San Diego, viewed by many as playing second fiddle to the Stradivarius Los Angeles Rams, are certainly gathering some of the shine off the NFL shield’s worldwide reach.
The NFL’s Global Markets Program (GMP) seeks to pair league teams with countries. Allowing the clubs to achieve global growth and open their media, marketing, and merchandising to new fan bases. This year, the NFL added the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans to the program. With these additions, all 32 teams are now involved, with 21 international markets connected.
The Chargers have marketing rights in Greece, while the Chiefs have similar rights in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, shared with other franchises.
“We’re thrilled to have all 32 clubs a part of the Global Markets Program in 2025,” said NFL Executive Vice President Club Business, Major Events & International Peter O’Reilly. “League-wide club participation in the program underlines the strategic priority both the NFL and its teams share: to invest in global growth. We continue to see strong momentum worldwide and look forward to bringing fans internationally closer to our game, together.”
The agreement process starts with an individual team submitting an application and proposal to the league. Marketing rights come with a five-year term. According to team Controlling Owner and Chairman of the Board Dean Spanos, the Chargers’ international interest in Greece is somewhat personal.
“The homeland of my family, Greece has left an eternal imprint on my heart. When the opportunity to grow the Los Angeles Chargers’ brand in Greece presented itself, we simply couldn’t pass it up. It seems only natural to bring what I consider to be the best game in the world to, quite literally, the birthplace of sport. We couldn’t be more excited to connect with Greeks from all walks of life. Make an impact on their communities, and share our passion for the game we love.”
The Chargers opened their Greece connection by having one of their 2025 NFL Draft picks selected live from Athens. Los Angeles will be the home team vs. KC in São Paulo. It is the team’s first international game since 2019 when, ironically, they played the Chiefs in Mexico. The Chargers have played two regular season games in London, as well as preseason games in Germany, Australia, and Japan.
As for the media particulars, it is a good lot.
What To Watch For On YouTube
Pregame and postgame hosting duties include the interesting duo of Kay Adams and Cam Newton. I have a reserved seat on the Adams’ bandwagon. She is absolutely terrific and very unique in her style and presentation. As for the Cam Newton bus, I’m holding off on purchasing a ticket. With his work on the Brazil game and expanded role on ESPN’s First Take, I’ll take in more of the Newton experience. Hopefully, it will be a good one.
Superstar Rich Eisen will call the Chiefs-Chargers game as play-by-play announcer, with color analyst Kurt Warner alongside. This pairing clinches, if nothing else, chemistry. Eisen and Warner have been longtime studio mates on NFL Network’s GameDay programming. The two blend with each other very well and have a real kinship in broadcasting.
Sideline reporters for the game will be NFL Network’s Stacey Dales and, fittingly enough, Donald De La Haye. The Costa Rican native and ex-collegiate and UFL kicker turned YouTube channel star. De La Haye truly embodies the international flair and worldwide streaming theme of the broadcast.
Beyond all of the media and marketing fanfare for both teams, this Week 1 matchup is an opportunity for the Chargers to realize their lofty, yet seemingly eternally unfulfilled, expectations. Yes, it is only Week 1. But this team needs to make a statement, especially against the Chiefs, a team that has dominated the AFC West. I get that Jim Harbaugh has set a new tone in LA. That new tone has yet to result in a deep playoff run.
FOX Sports recently ranked LA quarterback Justin Herbert in the top 10 of NFL signal-callers, and from a mechanics and statistical standpoint, they are not wrong. Still, this guy is in the Jack Squat column in terms of big wins. He needs to step up and beat Patrick Mahomes in a game that could end up deciding the division title and home playoff games.
This is a landmark game in Brazil to an international audience—the only game on the schedule for that day. I don’t care if this game was held in Brazil, Bangkok, or Bayonne; the Chargers need a win, or it’s going to be just another mediocre season for the Bolts and another step toward hats and t-shirts for the Chiefs.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
