NFL icon Kurt Warner will lead YouTube’s first foray into live game broadcasting.
The former Rams quarterback will fill the role of lead analyst as YouTube looks to further its interests in the world of live sports.
Legendary NFL quarterback Kurt Warner is set to feature on YouTube’s first live NFL production as lead analyst[/caption]
Warner and NFL legend Tom Brady featured at the same time as some of the NFL’s most prominent quarterbacks between 2000-2009[/caption]
The streaming giant is still looking for a play-by-play caller to partner Warner in the production, according to reports from The Athletic.
The Los Angeles Chargers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil on September 5th.
It will be the second regular-season NFL game held in South America.
The rights to the game were sold in a bidding war, with YouTube, Amazon and Warner Bros. all interested.
The scramble for the TV rights follows a recent trend of streaming platforms picking up live sports content.
Amazon has secured rights to Premier League games in recent seasons, while Netflix has produced events in the worlds of boxing and golf.
YouTube won out on this occasion and will broadcast the week one fixture for free on their platform.
The streaming site has previously dipped its toe into the world of NFL content with NFL Sunday Ticket, which provides viewing options for out-of-market games.
For this bumper season-opening fixture, they have hired NBC to handle the production elements of the game, but are supplying their own presenters.
The platform is expected to merge traditional sports coverage with their signature relaxed style and recognisable faces.
They are reportedly exploring the option of having significant stars react to the game with viewers in a watch along format.
But for their traditional coverage, they will need to tie down a play-by-play commentator to partner Warner before the game kicks off in just over a month.
They face a challenge on a packed opening weekend where many of the games top-level voices are already committed elsewhere.
For his part, Warner is used to the pressure of covering national games through his role as lead radio analyst for Westwood One for Monday Night Football and the Super Bowl.
He has also found regular work with the League’s own NFL Network.
NFL WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
(All times ET)
Thur 4 Sept
8.20 pm – Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Fri 5 Sept
8pm – Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Sun 7 Sept
1pm – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
1pm – Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
1pm – Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
1pm – Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots
1pm – Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints
1pm – Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets
1pm – New York Giants at Washington Commanders
1pm – Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars
4.05 pm – Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos
4.05 pm – San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks
4.25 pm – Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
4.25 pm – Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams
8.20 pm – Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
Mon 8 Sept
8.15 pm – Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
The 54-year-old is an NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion who broke into the league just two years before Tom Brady joined the Patriots.
Warner became legendary after winning the Super Bowl and being named Super Bowl MVP in his first season as starter with the St. Louis Rams.
He had arrived off the back of stints in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe after going undrafted out of college.
But he would kick up a rivalry with Brady after the young New England Patriots quarterback denied him a second Super Bowl title in the final of the 2001 season.
Brady surpassed Warner’s two NFL MVP awards when he snagged his third in 2017.
