YouTube and the NFL are taking their celebrity flag football franchise overseas — with plenty of hijinks and trick plays undoubtedly in store — in an inaugural London matchup featuring rival teams of creators, music artists, athletes and former football pros.
The NFL’s Flag Football Game on YouTube: London Edition will take place Saturday, Oct. 11, with a free global livestream on YouTube starting at 7 p.m. BST (2 p.m. ET). The two teams will be captained by Atlanta-based rapper-singer Gunna (Sergio Kitchens) and English rapper Aitch (Harrison Armstrong). The game will be livestreamed on the NFL’s official channel at this link and simulcast on the channels of creators Deestroying and Ross Smith.
YouTube and NFL held their first flag football game this year in New Orleans at Super Bowl LIX, which drew more than 6 million live views for teams led by Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed (aka Darren Jason Watkins Jr.). The league and YouTube have since extended the partnership to include the next three Super Bowls, as well as international games.
YouTube’s first international flag football game is designed to act as a lead-in to the NFL’s New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London on Sunday, Oct. 12. More broadly, the franchise is meant to support the NFL’s commitment to growing flag football globally (ahead of the sport’s debut in the 2028 L.A. Summer Olympics) and highlight its inclusiveness for female athletes and players of all backgrounds.
Team Gunna will be quarterbacked by flag football star Diana Flores and former NFL pro Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, with a roster featuring Deestroying, Khaby Lame, Calfreezy, Nella Rose, Speedy Morman, Jamie Laing and Sam Thompson. On the Team Aitch side, former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will take the field joined by teammates Adam W, Ashlea Klam, Tommy Fury, Michael Dapaah, SV2, Mabel, Jay Cinco, AJ Greene and Phoebe Schecter. In addition, the game will feature some “surprise guests,” according to YouTube.
Gunna said in a statement: “I’m ready to bring my energy to the field and lead my team. It’s great to team up with the NFL and YouTube on something that brings people together.”
Aitch commented, “When the NFL asked me to be a captain, I was gassed. Seeing how American football has blown up in the U.K. has been crazy, and now I get to play on the field with some of the best athletes, creators and entertainers around the world.”
The live game will take place at the Copper Box Arena, located in the heart of London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which was a key venue during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Fans who want to watch the game in person on Oct. 11 can buy tickets at Ticketmaster U.K. (available for less than £15), with kids 12 and under able to attend free.
Sportscaster Kay Adams will host a live pregame show, streaming exclusively on YouTube starting at 7 p.m. BST. Joining her will be ex-NFL star running back Maurice Jones-Drew along with English football player Dominic Solanke of Tottenham Hotspur as a special guest. During the game, former NFL pro Andrew Hawkins will deliver game-by-game highlights and British TV host and radio DJ Maya Jama and and YouTube creator Duke Dennis will provide color commentary.
The NFL-YouTube flag football events are part of a bigger partnership between the two. YouTube, starting with the 2023-24 season, became the exclusive U.S. retailer for the NFL’s Sunday Ticket out-of-home package. This season, YouTube hosted its first exclusive NFL broadcast on Sept. 5 of the Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers game in São Paulo, Brazil, available to audiences for free worldwide.
“Following the success of our Creator Flag Football Game at Super Bowl LIX, we’re excited to bring that same mix of culture and competition abroad to London for the first time,” said Ian Trombetta, the NFL’s SVP of social and influencer marketing. “With NFL legends, global creators and music stars like Aitch and Gunna all sharing the field, we’re creating an experience that’s unique to the U.K., while connecting with fans across the globe through live streams as flag football continues to grow.”
Alison Lomax, managing director for YouTube U.K. and Ireland, added, “YouTube creators are now household names in the world of entertainment. Bringing them together with the incredible artists and the NFL legends at this flag football game will certainly give Londoners, and everyone who will watch at home, an incredible show to remember. The game being exclusively livestreamed on YouTube will make it more accessible to everyone in the U.K. and beyond who couldn’t make it, doing what YouTube does best: bringing the most important moments in culture, sports, and entertainment much closer to viewers worldwide.”
Pictured top: Gunna (left), Aitch