YouTube Scores NFL Streaming Deal, Introduces Bingeable Shows
YouTube is making a significant push into the television advertising market. The platform announced a new deal with the NFL to exclusively stream the first Friday game of the 2025-2026 season. This game will be hosted in São Paulo, Brazil, and available to a global audience. In the U.S., YouTube TV subscribers will have access to the game.
This marks YouTube's first live broadcast of an NFL game. The platform's growing interest in sports content is evident, with users watching over 350 million hours of NFL content last year. YouTube also streamed the Super Bowl LIX Flag Football Game, attracting over 6 million live views. The expanded NFL deal includes streaming rights for the Flag Football game for multiple years.
YouTube Creators Get "Bingeable" Upgrade
YouTube also announced a new pilot program for creators. This program will allow creators to organize their content into seasons and episodes, similar to traditional TV shows. This feature aims to make YouTube content more appealing for viewers on larger screens. The pilot program will launch in the U.S. this summer with hundreds of creators, including Michelle Khare's Challenge Accepted and Good Mythical Morning with Rhett & Link.
This initiative builds on YouTube's recognition of the growing trend of viewers watching YouTube on TV screens. CEO Neal Mohan previously noted a year-over-year increase of over 30% in creators earning the majority of their revenue from TV viewership.
YouTube's Broader Advertising Strategy
Beyond the NFL deal and creator program, YouTube is enhancing its advertising offerings. The platform is introducing new "shoppable TV" features using QR codes and other send-to-phone technology. It's also leveraging Gemini AI to better match ads with relevant content.
YouTube highlighted its success as the number one streaming platform in the U.S. for watch time for over two years, surpassing Netflix, Disney, and Prime Video (as of March 2025). The company also emphasized its growing podcast presence, with over 1 billion monthly active podcast users.
These announcements were made at YouTube's annual Brandcast event for advertisers. The event showcased case studies from brands like Volvo, Inspire Brands (Dunkin’), Hilton, and State Farm, demonstrating the effectiveness of YouTube's advertising tools.
