Following the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers during Friday’s season-opening matchup in São Paulo’s NeoQuimica Arena won’t be as straightforward as fans might hope, thanks to a combination of streaming restrictions and social media complications. As the NFL makes its debut in South America, several factors could frustrate fans trying to tune in or stay updated on the action.
First, outside of the Philadelphia and Green Bay markets, NBC’s coverage of the game will be limited to Peacock, the streaming app that left many fans disgruntled last season when it was the sole platform for the Chiefs-Dolphins AFC Wild Card game. Although that game attracted 23 million viewers, making it the “most-streamed live event in US history” according to NBC, its numbers still lagged behind other games broadcast on traditional TV that weekend.
The Eagles-Packers game presents a similar challenge. Fans who haven’t yet subscribed to Peacock may be hesitant to sign up for the $5.99 monthly fee, especially if they’ve already encountered streaming frustrations in the past.
Whether the allure of the first NFL game in South America will be enough to drive new subscriptions remains to be seen, but it could still leave some fans out in the cold.
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To add to the challenge, Brazil’s recent ban on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) further complicates the experience for fans. Many football fans rely on X for live updates, news, and analysis from reporters and other fans in real-time.
However, due to Brazil’s decision to ban the platform—following X’s refusal to comply with government requests to curtail misinformation and appoint a legal representative in the country—reporters on the ground in Brazil will not be able to use the platform to share updates during the game.
The ban is significant, as anyone caught trying to bypass it using a VPN faces a hefty fine of 50,000 reais, or approximately $8,900. As a result, the typical second-screen experience, where fans follow live tweets or updates alongside the game, will look quite different. Reporters may turn to alternatives like Instagram, Threads, YouTube, or more niche platforms such as Mastodon or Bluesky to keep fans informed.
In response to the X ban, news outlets like the Philadelphia Inquirer plan to rely on live blogs to deliver updates, while stateside reporters on X will continue to provide coverage. However, fans who are accustomed to following their favorite beat writers from Brazil may find themselves searching for other sources.
Local reporters have already expressed frustration at the situation. Eliot Shorr-Parks of WIP, a prominent voice for Eagles coverage, shared with Front Office Sports the difficulty of maintaining the same reach without X. “It’s had an impact,” Shorr-Parks said. “I’m doing the same work, but it isn’t reaching the same audience. It’s the biggest week of the year and an incredibly unique experience. The biggest part of my job is connecting to fans, and with Twitter gone, I’ve lost a big portion of being able to do that.”
For die-hard fans who want the full experience, it may be worth exploring other platforms and adjusting to new ways of following the game.
Between Peacock’s exclusive streaming deal and the X ban in Brazil, watching and engaging with the NFL’s first South American game could require a little extra effort.
With kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. ET, fans should prepare ahead of time to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the action—or the updates.
