The NFL is adding a new twist to its broadcast lineup. More specifically, when the season kicks off in Week 1, the first Friday game will stream live on YouTube — the first time the platform has carried an NFL game.
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The Kansas City Chiefs will face the Los Angeles Chargers in the YouTube debut. And in true YouTube fashion, it will feature one of the site's biggest stars on the sideline.
Content creator Donald De La Haye, better known as Deestroying, will serve as one of the sideline reporters, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. De La Haye, a former kicker at Central Florida who also spent time in the CFL and UFL, has built a massive following online with more than 6.3 million subscribers on his YouTube channel.
He will join a more traditional broadcast crew for the Sept. 5 game: Rich Eisen on play-by-play, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner as analyst, and Stacey Dales also reporting from the sidelines.
The NFL has been careful about how it splits broadcast rights, with primary partners often hesitant to share talent for one-off games. That makes this experiment even more notable — not just because it will be free to watch, but because it puts a content creator on the same stage as longtime network professionals.
It is part of the league's ongoing effort to connect with younger fans who consume more sports highlights and streaming content than traditional television.
The matchup itself should get plenty of attention. But the broadcast will also be under the spotlight, serving as a test case for whether YouTube can bring in new audiences — and whether personalities like Deestroying can translate from viral clips to the NFL stage.
