YouTube's first-ever NFL broadcast pulls in 17M viewers

Sept. 8 (UPI) -- YouTube said Monday its first-ever exclusive broadcast of an NFL game was a "huge" success that saw tens of millions of global viewers.

The streaming platform's live NFL broadcast from Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Friday -- featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers -- set a record at more than 17 million viewers for most concurrent viewers of a YouTube live stream, the company said in a release.

According to YouTube, the NFL game drew a global audience of more than 17.3 million average-minute-audience from more than 230 nations and territories.

YouTube partnered with the NFL to bring a "uniquely interactive and creator-driven viewing experience" that saw a halftime show from Karol G, company officials stated.

On Monday, YouTube officials expressed their delight with the results and wished viewers a "Happy NFL Season" ahead.

"Thank you to all 17 million of you who tuned in for this game-changing moment on YouTube," the streaming giant said.