NEW YORK – YouTube is positioning itself to become a bigger player in the NFL broadcasting landscape. Sources tell Sports Business Journal that YouTube is emerging as the early leader to acquire rights to the NFL four-game package that the league retained as part of its ESPN equity deal.
The partial merger between the NFL and ESPN resulted in the league acquiring four games that can be resold to the highest bidder. According to the report, a number of parties remain interested in the package.
YouTube aired its first exclusive NFL game in 2025 with the Week 1 Chargers-Chiefs game from Brazil, which drew 18.5 million viewers in the U.S. plus another 1.1 million from abroad.
The centerpiece of the extra package is the Australia game between the 49ers and the Rams, scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 or Thursday, September 10.
It remains unclear what the exact mix of games would be in the package. Sources indicate there has been significant interest from multiple parties, with the four-game package potentially having a short-term shelf life as the NFL figures out its broader, long-term media strategy.
NFL Network will likely remain the home for the bulk of the league international games, but with nine such contests scheduled for 2026, there is opportunity beyond the cable network.
Both YouTube and the NFL declined to comment.
