YouTube's could be shut out of NFL games for 2026

Just when YouTube thought it was in, they pulled it back out.

Not long ago, YouTube was reportedly engaged in a "long-form contract review" with the NFL for a five-game package in 2026. As of Thursday, CNBC reported that the four games the league reclaimed from ESPN would be split between YouTube and Netflix.

Now, YouTube could be SOL for the coming season.

Via John Ourand of Puck, it's possible YouTube "will wind up with nothing."

Instead, it appears that Netflix will get its own five-game package. Specifically, Netflix is expected to televise three of the five games (to go along with its existing pair of Christmas games), with one of the three-letter networks getting the remaining two.

The situation underscores the manner in which the annual NFL slate of games may be determined going forward. With broader weekly packages as the anchor of the schedule, the league will have a handful of back-pocket games it will dangle to its various partners in an effort to further deepen its pockets.

This approach will result in unexpected twists and turns. If YouTube ends up with nothing this year (other than its existing Sunday Ticket package), that will count as very unexpected.

For now, the Netflix package for 2026 (per Ourand) likely will consist of the two Christmas games, the Week 1 game in Australia, the Thanksgiving Eve game (which has quietly gone from possible to definite), and a Saturday game on the final weekend of the regular season that will lead into the usual ESPN doubleheader.

That leaves two games that were previously part of the ill-advised Monday night doubleheaders. Ourand reports that the league has begun shopping them to CBS, NBC, ESPN, and Fox.

But not YouTube.

This fact alone underscores the likelihood that, in a matter of weeks, YouTube has gone from reportedly having five games in 2026 to likely having bupkis.