NFL looks beyond cable with YouTube

Following last year’s $14bn deal, YouTube and the NFL – the most popular sports league in the US – are carving out a new way to show live games as part of NFL Sunday Ticket. 

Why the NFL and YouTube collaboration matters

Since 2022, YouTube – owned by Alphabet – has had the rights to broadcast NFL Sunday games not shown on local Fox or CBS stations. The seven-year deal is indicative of some major tech firms’ more flexible approach to sport.

It’s catching on. Not only has the NFL inked deals with Amazon and Alphabet, among other leagues around the world, it appears that the NBA is also looking to capitalise on the trend, according to Bloomberg. 

The news follows the conclusion of weeks-long tension between Disney-owned ESPN and Charter, a major cable system, as rights holders increasingly turn to streaming services. 

The deal takes flesh

• As part of the deal, YouTube will deploy some of its creator talent to boost the profile of the partnership by letting one influencer loose in an NFL stadium each week for a new weekly show. 
• The initiative is part of a $14bn deal between the video service – YouTube’s biggest ever – and the league that goes far beyond game broadcasts.
• The rationale for the league, aside from the revenue, is the need to reach a younger audience, especially as social media platforms featuring short clips or highlight reels are often enough to satisfy casual fans. 
• The question, then, is whether YouTube’s massive audience will convert to a paying audience willing to shell out over $250 a year to watch games that their TV subscriptions don’t cover. 

Sourced from Bloomberg, Variety, NFL