NFL Launches YouTube Channel; League Gets Promotional Assets

The NFL has launched its own YouTube channel after years of negotiations in a deal that includes in-game highlights and NFL promotions on Google search pages. The multiyear deal will have YouTube sell the advertising. It will give the league a guaranteed payment, then the two will split the revenue. The service, which already is up and running, will make a limited number of in-game highlights available, numbering in the low single digits per game.

An interesting part of the deal will be the amount of promotion the NFL gets. Each of the highlight clips will have a link alerting viewers to where they can watch that game in the local market. It also will promote NFL products, said NFL Senior VP/Media Strategy, Business Development & Sales Hans Schroeder. The NFL will get a lot of promotion on Google search pages, as well. Under terms of the deal, when someone searches an NFL term, a box at the top of the first search page will feature highlights and links.