https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/youtube-nfl-free-livestream-2025-game-1236395902/

The São Paulo, Brazil Friday night Week 1 game featuring the Los Angeles Chargers and a yet to be announced opponent will be shown on YouTube for free throughout nearly the entire world (except Canada and a few other countries).

YouTube taps YouTuber Deestroying as a sideline reporter for its first NFL game (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6561386/2025/08/19/youtube-deestroying-nfl-chiefs-chargers/)

The popular YouTube star, with 6.32 million followers (https://www.youtube.com/@Deestroying/videos), will serve as a sideline reporter for the Sept. 5 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers from São Paulo, Brazil. Deestroying, whose real name is Donald De La Haye, spent a little time as a kicker in the UFL after a playing career at Central Florida. He'll be joined by play-by-play announcer Rich Eisen and analyst Kurt Warner and sideline reporter Stacey Dales.

IShowSpeed joins YouTube's first NFL game as an alternative streamer (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6576266/2025/08/26/ishowspeed-nfl-youtube-chiefs-chargers/)

The popular YouTuber, whose real name is Darren Watkins, will host one of four “Watch With” streams available during the Sept. 5 Chiefs-Chargers game. IShowSpeed has 43 million subscribers, making him one of the most widely consumed creators in the world.

Fox and ESPN blast Nielsen's measurement of tonight's first-ever YouTube-only NFL game. (https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/nielsen-wont-share-chiefs-chargers-youtube-measurements-with-other-clients)

Michael Mulvihill of Fox says that “Nielsen's measurement of tonight's YouTube game will not be made available to other Nielsen clients.”

When it comes to sports it seems that streaming services want so badly to get their hands on big ticket sporting events. In Youtube's case I think Youtube wants to team up with NFL and start broadcasting every single NFL game of the season minus the Super Bowl because seeing how this game worked this might be Youtube's first step to broadcasting NFL games in the future. Because like we saw with Tubi when the Super Bowl was broadcast for free Youtube just might be copying Tubi's success and maybe Youtube might make all NFL games for free watching someday. Because when you have competitors such as Amazon Prime Video and Hulu and Fubo and Paramount+ they have NFL games too and it seems that NFL games are hits with streaming apps and I wouldn't be surprised if Youtube decides to broadcast the 2026 Super Bowl for free as well