The LA Chargers' full schedule will be revealed on Wednesday, May 14, along with the rest of the league. However, given the Chargers have a Week 1 game overseas in Brazil, fans will learn who the Bolts play to start the season earlier in the week.
Leaks and rumors about the Chargers' upcoming schedule are already starting to surface. While the entire schedule (and the team's Week 1 opponent) are still a mystery, the latest Chargers-related rumor will be huge if it's true.
According to The Athletic's Andrew Marchand, YouTube is the heavy favorite to broadcast the Chargers' Week 1 game in Brazil. What makes this notable isn't that it's YouTube. According to Marchand, the game would be free to watch globally on the YouTube platform. No paid subscription needed.
Chargers schedule rumor hints at the Bolts making NFL history
This would be the first broadcast of its kind on the YouTube platform after YouTube TV took the Sunday Ticket rights two years ago. This is also something Amazon and Netflix haven't done, as both services require a paid subscription.
If this rumor ends up being true then the Chargers may play in the most-watched regular-season football game in NFL history. As hyperbolic as that sounds, there is going to be a massive audience if there are no barriers to entry.
Can YouTube handle a worldwide stream that could flirt with nine figures? That is the real question, and could cause some streaming headaches during the game. But if everything goes smoothly, the entire world will see Justin Herbert and the Chargers on center stage.
This is huge for the Bolts. The opportunity to gain new global fans in this game is massive. The fanbase will undoubtedly grow if the Chargers can take care of business in impressive fashion in front of the entire world.
Based on how the NFL has handled international scheduling in the past, the Houston Texans are the favorites to play the Chargers in Week 1. This would be a rematch of the AFC Wild Card Round and would give the Chargers a shot at redemption.
The opponent (and streaming partner) will officially be revealed early next week.