YouTube’s top sports executive forecasts increased creator-hosted game commentary streams for live sports broadcasts. 

Jon Cruz, Head of Global Sports Partnerships at YouTube, shared this vision at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit in New York.

Cruz suggested that viewers may soon have the option to choose commentary from emerging content creators over traditional broadcasters. 

“The expectation will be that if I want to hear NFL commentary from [someone like] Brett Coleman—who’s an up-and-coming football strategist on YouTube—I’m going to be able to choose that over maybe Tony Romo and Jim Nantz,” Cruz stated.

This prediction aligns with YouTube’s recent success in the streaming market. 

According to a recent report, the platform led monthly TV usage with 10.4% of all viewing in July. Sports content played a significant role in this growth, with sports-related views up over 45% year-over-year and sports living room watch time increasing by over 30%.

YouTube’s investment in sports is substantial, with the platform paying $2 billion annually for NFL rights. However, Cruz pointed out that integrating creators into sports broadcasts requires strategic consideration beyond simply featuring popular influencers.

“It’s not just about bringing in Mr. Beast or the largest influencer you know and printing money off that,” Cruz explained. “You have to figure out: How does this fit into our broader strategy? And how do we bring in these personalities and creators in such a way that it’s unique to us?”

Cruz believes that the future of sports broadcasting lies in the relationships between viewers and content creators. 

“Fans care about the relationship they have with the personality,” he noted. “They’re not worried about production budget, or paywall this, or distribution platform that.”