Grammy-winning Colombian superstar Karol G will headline the NFL halftime show during the inaugural YouTube-exclusive broadcast of the NFL São Paulo game on September 5, 2025. The landmark event features the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Los Angeles Chargers at Corinthians Arena, marking YouTube’s first exclusive live NFL broadcast available free to viewers worldwide.
The performance represents a significant milestone in the ongoing partnership between the NFL and YouTube, now entering its third season with NFL Sunday Ticket on the platform. Last year alone, viewers consumed over 350 million hours of NFL content on YouTube, demonstrating the growing digital appetite for football programming across global audiences.
Karol G brings impressive credentials to the international stage, having amassed nearly 30 billion YouTube views and secured her place in the platform’s elite Billion-View Club. Her latest album, “Tropicoqueta,” released in June 2025, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and quickly surpassed one billion streams. She also made history by having 20 songs simultaneously on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
A global sensation with 30 billion views, Karol G brings chart-topping Latin music firepower to the international NFL stage.
The Colombian artist previously performed in Brazil during the 2024 Rock in Rio festival, establishing a connection with the local audience. The São Paulo halftime show will incorporate additional Latin American artists alongside Karol G, celebrating the region’s rich musical heritage while reinforcing Brazil’s emerging importance as an NFL market.
The broadcast begins at 4 p.m. PT, with free worldwide access expected to substantially expand the league’s international reach. This collaboration highlights the NFL’s strategic push into South America, with Brazil hosting games for the second consecutive year.
The event also exemplifies YouTube’s evolving role in sports broadcasting, blending traditional athletic competition with global entertainment. For Karol G, the performance offers an opportunity to develop sync licensing deals with the NFL, potentially expanding her music’s reach through sports programming. The performance will be supported by a comprehensive social media campaign designed to engage fans through consistent, eye-catching content across multiple platforms. The game will feature Brazilian singer Ana Castela performing the national anthem, adding local cultural representation to the historic broadcast. For both the NFL and YouTube, partnering with a Latin music powerhouse like Karol G represents a calculated move to engage diverse fan demographics.
The performance aims to bridge football, music, and creator communities through digital accessibility, potentially transforming how live sports entertainment reaches international audiences in the streaming era.
