NFL Race to the End Zone returns for season two on NFL YouTube

The NFL and Livewire are bringing back the gaming competition series NFL Race to the End Zone Powered by Verizon on Tuesday, Sept. 22, with a 21-episode run that will lead to a live finale during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles. The new season expands the player-creator lineup, adds new challenges and aims to deepen the league’s reach with younger fans.

Why it matters: - NFL Race to the End Zone is built to connect the NFL with Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans through gaming creators and NFL players. - The series has already proved it can draw a large audience and industry recognition, which raises the stakes for Season Two. - The show also gives the NFL another platform to promote league initiatives tied to flag football, cancer awareness and military service.

What happened: - The NFL and Livewire announced the return of NFL Race to the End Zone Powered by Verizon on Tuesday, Sept. 22. - Season Two premieres on NFL YouTube (@NFL) and runs for 21 episodes. - Episode one features Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty and content creator Kani Rose. - The season culminates during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles. - The series is produced under the multi-year strategic partnership between the NFL and Livewire.

The details: - Season One generated 178 million total views on NFL YouTube. - Season One averaged 8.4 million views per episode across 368 pieces of content. - The debut season won two Telly Awards, including Gold for Series-Sports and Silver for Campaign-Sports. - Season One also won the Digiday Content Marketing Award for Best Use of Native Advertising/Sponsored Content. - Season Two includes NFL players Daniel Jones, Jahmyr Gibbs and Drake London. - Season Two also includes gaming creators CashNasty, WILDCAT, Agent00 and LuluLuvely. - Additional NFL players and creators will be revealed during the season. - The new lineup includes 20 NFL players and 20 gaming creators with a combined social reach of 115 million followers. - The NFL Celly Studio is inspired by the league’s Kickoff campaign, “The Season is Your Stage.” - New games and challenges will take place at team facilities across the NFL. - Companion content, clips and interactive drops will run on Instagram and TikTok (@NFLRaceToTheEndZone). - NFL Race to the End Zone LIVE will be a multi-player invitational tournament streamed on NFL YouTube during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles. - Gaming creators who qualify for the finale will compete alongside NFL players, and the winner will be crowned Season Two Champion. - The season will spotlight community changemakers supporting NFL FLAG, Crucial Catch and Salute to Service.

Between the lines: - Livewire framed gaming as a mainstream media channel and said the first season showed brands can reach fans with premium content. - The company also said inbound demand for Season Two reflects the series’ performance. - NFL video games chief Ed Kiang said Season One helped connect the league to younger fans and Season Two builds on that momentum with new challenges and stories. - The format mixes sports and gaming to turn NFL fandom into a repeatable content franchise rather than a one-off promotion.

What's next: - More NFL players and creators will be announced throughout the season. - The live Super Bowl LXI week finale will decide the Season Two champion. - Viewers can watch the trailer for Season Two here. - More information is available at Livewire.

The bottom line: - The NFL is doubling down on gaming content as a way to reach younger audiences, and the second season is bigger in scope, distribution and finale stakes than the first.