diff --git a/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py b/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
index be5c9a47f..768fd8142 100644
--- a/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
+++ b/youtube_dl/extractor/common.py
@@ -965,41 +965,27 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
             video_info['description'] = playlist_description
         return video_info
 
-    def _search_regex(self, pattern, string, name, default=NO_DEFAULT, fatal=True, flags=0, group=None, return_all=False):
+    def _search_regex(self, pattern, string, name, default=NO_DEFAULT, fatal=True, flags=0, group=None):
         """
         Perform a regex search on the given string, using a single or a list of
         patterns returning the first matching group.
         In case of failure return a default value or raise a WARNING or a
         RegexNotFoundError, depending on fatal, specifying the field name.
         """
-        matches = []
-
         if isinstance(pattern, (str, compat_str, compiled_regex_type)):
-            if return_all:
-                matches = list(re.finditer(pattern, string, flags))
-            else:
-                mobj = re.search(pattern, string, flags)
+            mobj = re.search(pattern, string, flags)
         else:
             for p in pattern:
-                if return_all:
-                    new_matches = list(re.finditer(p, string, flags))
-                    matches.extend(new_matches)
-                else:
-                    mobj = re.search(p, string, flags)
-                    if mobj:
-                        break
+                mobj = re.search(p, string, flags)
+                if mobj:
+                    break
 
         if not self._downloader.params.get('no_color') and compat_os_name != 'nt' and sys.stderr.isatty():
             _name = '\033[0;34m%s\033[0m' % name
         else:
             _name = name
 
-        if return_all and len(matches) > 0:
-            if group is None:
-                return list(map(lambda m: next(g for g in m.groups() if g is not None), matches))
-            else:
-                return list(map(lambda m: m.group(group), matches))
-        elif mobj:
+        if mobj:
             if group is None:
                 # return the first matching group
                 return next(g for g in mobj.groups() if g is not None)
@@ -1013,6 +999,40 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
             self._downloader.report_warning('unable to extract %s' % _name + bug_reports_message())
             return None
 
+    def _search_regex_all(self, pattern, string, name, default=NO_DEFAULT, fatal=True, flags=0, group=None):
+        """
+        Perform a regex search on the given string, using a single or a list of
+        patterns returning the first matching group. Returns all matches.
+        In case of failure return a default value or raise a WARNING or a
+        RegexNotFoundError, depending on fatal, specifying the field name.
+        """
+        matches = []
+
+        if isinstance(pattern, (str, compat_str, compiled_regex_type)):
+            matches = list(re.finditer(pattern, string, flags))
+        else:
+            for p in pattern:
+                new_matches = list(re.finditer(p, string, flags))
+                matches.extend(new_matches)
+
+        if not self._downloader.params.get('no_color') and compat_os_name != 'nt' and sys.stderr.isatty():
+            _name = '\033[0;34m%s\033[0m' % name
+        else:
+            _name = name
+
+        if len(matches) > 0:
+            if group is None:
+                return list(map(lambda m: next(g for g in m.groups() if g is not None), matches))
+            else:
+                return list(map(lambda m: m.group(group), matches))
+        elif default is not NO_DEFAULT:
+            return default
+        elif fatal:
+            raise RegexNotFoundError('Unable to extract %s' % _name)
+        else:
+            self._downloader.report_warning('unable to extract %s' % _name + bug_reports_message())
+            return None
+
     def _html_search_regex(self, pattern, string, name, default=NO_DEFAULT, fatal=True, flags=0, group=None):
         """
         Like _search_regex, but strips HTML tags and unescapes entities.
@@ -1188,10 +1208,10 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
                                       'twitter card player')
 
     def _search_json_ld(self, html, video_id, expected_type=None, **kwargs):
-        json_lds = self._search_regex(
+        json_lds = self._search_regex_all(
             JSON_LD_RE, html, 'JSON-LD', group='json_ld', return_all=True, **kwargs)
         default = kwargs.get('default', NO_DEFAULT)
-        if not json_lds or len(json_lds) == 0:
+        if not json_lds:
             return default if default is not NO_DEFAULT else {}
         # JSON-LD may be malformed and thus `fatal` should be respected.
         # At the same time `default` may be passed that assumes `fatal=False`