YouTube has found its lead game analyst for the NFL Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. Who will be the play-by-play broadcaster?
YouTube Enlists Kurt Warner To Serve As Analyst
NEWS: Kurt Warner will be the game analyst on YouTube's Chiefs-Chargers game, while the streamer still searches for a play-by-player with a little more than a month until the game, The Athletic has learned.https://t.co/73hZewjXKS
— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) July 29, 2025
YouTube plans to have a Hall of Fame quarterback in its broadcast booth.
Per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, YouTube has signed Kurt Warner to be the company’s lead game analyst during the Week 1 game between the Chiefs and Chargers. The game will be played on Friday night during Week 1 of the NFL season in São Paulo, Brazil.
Warner currently works as a game analyst for Westwood One Radio’s coverage of Monday Night Football. Warner also calls games for the NFL Network alongside Rich Eisen.
Marchand’s report states that YouTube is still searching for a play-by-play caller to pair alongside Warner.
Two factors have made the search for a play-by-play announcer rather difficult. First, the game airs on Friday, Sept. 5. Most of the major networks will air college football on Saturday and the NFL on Sunday, meaning their top announcers will be unavailable.
The second factor is an unwillingness to help YouTube. NBC will handle the production for YouTube for a fee. However, the other networks with NFL games — including ESPN, CBS, and Fox — have been “hesitant” to help out the streamers.
Netflix is also having difficulty finding on-air talent for its Christmas Day doubleheader.
Mike Tirico, NBC’s No. 1 play-by-play announcer, is scheduled to call the NFL Kickoff Game in Philadelphia the night before the Chiefs vs. Chargers. Noah Eagle, the network’s No. 2, is slated to announce the college football matchup between Michigan State and Boston College on Saturday night.
YouTube’s First NFL Game
🇧🇷 2025 Week 1 Brazil Game🇧🇷@YouTube to stream 2025 Week 1 @NFL game in Brazil on Sept. 5 to worldwide audience for free!
1st exclusive NFL game to be streamed live & for free in its entirety on YouTube
Matchup to be announced Wednesday
Release: https://t.co/JyXhAIf1nr
— NFL Media (@NFLMedia) May 13, 2025
For the second consecutive season, the NFL will play a Friday night Week 1 game in São Paulo, Brazil.
The game will stream exclusively on YouTube and YouTube TV. It marks the first time in NFL history that a regular-season game will stream for free on YouTube.
“We are excited to expand our relationship with YouTube to bring this year’s Brazil game to a worldwide audience,” said Hans Schroeder, NFL executive vice president of media distribution. “YouTube and YouTube TV have been incredible partners of the NFL for several years and boast an immense global reach, and we look forward to Week 1 in São Paulo.”
YouTube plans to take advantage of its massive platform by having popular personalities host watch-along streams on the platform.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 5.
