YouTube’s first-ever exclusive NFL broadcast game will welcome Grammy-winning Colombian singer Karol G as the halftime performer.
The week 1 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers will take place September 5 at the Corinthians Arena in São Paulo, Brazil. It will also be the first NFL game to take place in South America.
“I’m so excited to be part of YouTube’s first-ever NFL live broadcast, it’s truly an honor and a moment I’m so proud to be part of,” Karol G, 34, said in a statement.
“I’ve watched many NFL halftime shows over the years and now having this opportunity to bring my music to this global stage means the world to me,” the global recording artist added. “I can’t wait to celebrate with everyone in São Paulo and fans all around the world.”
The game will be free to stream on YouTube, with pre-game coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET and the kickoff expected at 8 p.m. ET.
This partnership between YouTube and the NFL marks the latest push by streamers to break into sports broadcasting. Last year, Netflix hosted its inaugural two-game NFL Christmas Gameday event, which saw the Chiefs take on the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens take on the Houston Texans.
“This broadcast is a landmark moment in our partnership with the NFL, where the worlds of football, music and creators will powerfully collide,” said Angela Courtin, VP of connected TV and creative studio marketing at YouTube, in a statement.
Besides Karol G, other artists performing at the game are local Brazilian star Ana Castela, who will sing the country’s National Anthem, Hino Nacional Brasileiro, and award-nominated American composer and jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, who will perform the U.S. National Anthem.
The broadcast will also feature some of the world's most popular YouTube creators.
Karol G’s performance comes on the heels of her latest album release, Tropicoqueta. The 20-track record is her fifth overall, after Mañana Será Bonito (2023), KG0516 (2021), Ocean (2019), and Unstoppable (2017).
Karol G is widely considered to be one of the most influential reggaeton and urban pop artists. In 2024, she made history as the first woman to win the Grammy for best música urbana, a moment that reflected changing perceptions of reggaetón and Latin hip-hop as exclusively “men’s music.”
“You know, I feel a lot of responsibility about that,” she told The Associated Press at the time. “As a woman, I have to say, like in my experience, it was tough, like so many things, to be a girl in this industry, in the music that I do, in urban music.”
