YouTube Says Its Live NFL Game Drew 17.3M Global Viewers, Including 1.1M Outside U.S.

YouTube said its first-ever global stream of a live NFL game last Friday drew a total audience of 17.3 million people, including 1.1 million outside of the U.S.

The average minute audience numbers for the Los Angeles Chargers–Kansas City Chiefs contest were a bit lower than a conventional NFL game on domestic broadcast. But for the league and YouTube, the game in Brazil represented a significant milestone as the first being available for free to a worldwide online audience.

The U.S. numbers came from Nielsen, while YouTube self-reported the tune-in everywhere else.

The Chargers upset of the Chiefs came in well ahead of a stream last year of a game in Brazil hosted by NBCUniversal’s Peacock, which drew 14.2 million viewers. Netflix holds the record for the most popular NFL telecast ever streamed, with last Christmas Day’s doubleheader averaging 24 million viewers.

Getting the stand-alone game into 230 countries and territories was a major priority for the NFL, which has ramped up its annual slate of games played outside of the U.S. Speculation has grown that a franchise could soon be awarded to a non-U.S. city. Games played in London have streamed for years, appearing previously on Twitter and Yahoo.

YouTube has had a partnership with the NFL since signing on to distribute its Sunday Ticket streaming package in 2023. As part of that deal, the Google-owned video platform began stepping up efforts to integrate league content into its creator community.

In keeping with the recent blending, top YouTube channel proprietor Deestroying was part of the broadcast crew, and alternate telecasts and watch parties also involved YouTube personalities. The game also featured new content from top creators MrBeast, Haley Kalil, Michelle Khare and Marques Brownlee. Colombian pop star Karol G performed during halftime.