YouTube is going all in on TV ad dollars. At its annual Brandcast Upfront event, the platform announced a big expansion of its NFL deal and new features to make TV viewing better for users and advertisers.
A highlight: YouTube will exclusively stream the NFL’s first-ever Friday game of the 2025–2026 season from São Paulo, Brazil. The first time YouTube will be a live broadcaster for the NFL globally. In the US, the game will be available to YouTube TV subscribers. Last year, users watched over 350 million hours of NFL content on YouTube and 6 million tuned in live for the Super Bowl LIX Flag Football Game.
Creators can now organize their videos into seasons and episodes, just like TV shows, via YouTube’s pilot program. Michelle Khare and Rhett & Link will be the first to use it, so their content is bigger on screens.
It is also expanding shoppable TV tools, with QR codes and send-to-phone features to drive conversions from smart TVs. Advertisers will get Gemini AI-powered targeting, which matches ads to trending and relevant content.
The platform reminded marketers of its dominance, pointing out that YouTube leads U.S. streaming watch time, beating Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video as of March 2025. It also highlighted its growing podcast presence, with 1 billion monthly podcast users now on the platform.
From live NFL broadcasts to TV-style creator content, YouTube is making the case that it’s no longer just a video site, it’s the new TV.
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