NFL streams on YouTube this week: Chiefs vs. Chargers. And while that is some exciting news in itself, the platform’s biggest creator, MrBeast, added some more to it. Actually, no. Let me correct myself. He crashed the internet with a single sentence! “I bought the NFL and put YouTubers on each team ahead of the Chargers vs Chiefs game being streamed on YouTube on September 5th!” the YouTuber wrote just hours ago on Instagram and posted a picture with Roger Goodell.

The post came stacked with two photos and four videos. And the image with Goodell looked like it was from a press conference. Then came the videos. In one, James Donaldson, aka MrBeast, sat in a mock draft boardroom, FaceTiming creator Haley Baylee. “How’s it going? I own the NFL now, what do you need?” he asked. Haley shouted back: “Jimmy dibs on the Vikings. Go Vikings, I have played this game. Go Vikings, all hail your name.” Donaldson turns to Goodell: “Put her on,” as the commissioner sticks Haley’s name tag on Minnesota’s board.

Other clips showcased internet stars pairing up with NFL faces. IShowSpeed linked up with Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill. Céline Dept was seen booting a football. Marlon Lundgren Garcia appeared alongside Chargers safety Derwin James Jr.. But here is the big question: Did MrBeast actually buy the NFL? No, he didn’t.

The league’s September 5 stream from São Paulo, Brazil, of Chiefs vs. Chargers, is history-making. The post made by MrBeast was just to create hype about the same. Will he be involved during the game? Yes! He is set to run a live in-game challenge, and the prize will be revealed during the postgame show. But it doesn’t end here. YouTube’s creator roster will also feature alternate commentary from IShowSpeed and Tom Grossi in English. Robegrill and SKabeche will do the same in Spanish, and CazéTV will broadcast live from Arena Corinthians for Portuguese viewers.

Interesting Fact: MrBeast’s net worth is $1 billion, whereas an average NFL franchise would be around $7.1 billion.

Underneath all the social media chaos is something serious, though. This game marks the NFL’s first regular-season stream airing free worldwide on YouTube. Chiefs president Mark Donovan even framed it directly: “This partnership not only highlights the excitement of opening the season in Brazil but also allows us to connect with fans globally through a platform that’s transforming how people experience live sports.”

Goodell has also spoken about it. “Integrating MrBeast and some of the world’s top creators will make this free experience even more special for fans of all ages.” And Wes Harris, Director of Connected TV Marketing at YouTube, stated, “This is more than a game; it’s the future of football, and it’s open for everyone around the world to enjoy for free on YouTube.”

Jason Kelce shut out of YouTube’s big opportunity

Jason Kelce was nearly in the mix. The platform asked ESPN to make the Monday Night Countdown analyst available for its Chiefs-Chargers production in Brazil. ESPN’s answer: no shot. According to Front Office Sports, the network blocked the move under its policy preventing talent from appearing on games streamed by YouTube or Netflix.

That stance wasn’t built overnight. Legacy broadcasters are putting up fences as streaming giants circle NFL rights. Fox lent Greg Olsen to Netflix for last year’s Christmas games but pulled back this season. ESPN is playing the same game by keeping its popular faces off YouTube’s broadcast, even if that means the league’s first exclusive stream can’t feature a marketable name like Kelce. It forced YouTube into a workaround. NBC is producing the game, but YouTube pieced together a roster that feels native to its platform.

YouTuber Deestroying will join NFL Network’s Stacey Dales on the sidelines. Rich Eisen and Kurt Warner headline the call, with Kay Adams anchoring a studio show alongside Cam Newton, Derek Carr, Brandon Marshall, Tyrann Mathieu and another YouTube creator, Peter Overzet. Add iShowSpeed hosting a “Watch With” stream for his 43 million subscribers, and you get a football broadcast built for YouTube, not cable TV. Kelce would’ve been a perfect bridge: Kansas City ties, Eagles legend, YouTube savvy. But ESPN slammed the door, and YouTube will just have to prove it can win headlines without him.