YouTube Targets TV ad Dollars with NFL Deal and Creator Content

At its annual Brandcast event for advertisers, YouTube unveiled several initiatives aimed at drawing more TV ad spending to its platform. Key among them is an expanded partnership with the NFL, including exclusive streaming rights to the league’s first Friday game of the 2025-2026 season. Additionally, YouTube plans to test a new format that helps creators better engage TV viewers with binge-friendly, organized content.

This initiative was initially introduced at YouTube’s Made On YouTube event last September, where CEO Neal Mohan noted a more than 30% year-over-year increase in creators earning most of their revenue from TV viewership. As part of the pilot program, select creators will gain access to a new feature that lets them structure their content into seasons and episodes, mirroring traditional TV shows.

YouTube Positions Itself as the Modern TV Experience for Advertisers

Alongside new initiatives like “shoppable TV” and tools for advertisers to tap into major cultural events such as awards season or The PGA Championship, YouTube is reinforcing its message to advertisers: it’s not just a digital video platform—it’s how people watch TV today.

As part of its expanded NFL partnership, YouTube will exclusively stream the league’s first Friday game in São Paulo, Brazil, to a global audience—marking its debut as a live NFL broadcaster. In the U.S., the game will be available to YouTube TV subscribers. The company highlighted that viewers watched over 350 million hours of NFL content on YouTube last year and that its Super Bowl LIX Flag Football Game stream drew over 6 million live views. The renewed deal also includes multi-year streaming rights for the Flag Football game.

YouTube Invites Creators to Tailor Content for the Big Screen

YouTube is encouraging creators to bring their content into viewers’ living rooms.

This summer, hundreds of creators in the U.S. will join an initial pilot program aimed at enhancing the TV viewing experience. The program will let them structure their content into seasons and episodes, making it more binge-worthy for big-screen audiences. Participating creators include shows like Michelle Khare’s Challenge Accepted and Good Mythical Morning with Rhett & Link, who will use the new tools to adapt their content for TV-style consumption.

The company is introducing features that allow users to shop directly on YouTube through QR codes and other send-to-phone options, while also leveraging Gemini AI to pair ads with trending, relevant content.

At Brandcast, YouTube showcased case studies from brands such as Volvo, Inspire Brands (Dunkin’), Hilton, and State Farm, highlighting how they’ve used its advertising tools to engage their audiences. The platform also reminded marketers that it has been the leader in streaming watch time in the U.S. for over two years, surpassing Netflix, Disney, and Prime Video as of March 2025. Additionally, YouTube emphasized its growing focus on podcasts, which now attract over 1 billion monthly active users.

Read the original article on: Techcrunch

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