NFL to hold first game in Australia as part of international expansion
The National Football League will hold its first game in Australia: the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play in Melbourne. The matchup will be one of nine NFL regular-season games outside the United States in 2026, CNBC Top News reports.
The trip to Australia will be the longest in NFL history for two teams traveling to a game. The Melbourne game is scheduled for Friday and will begin at 10:35 local time.
Nine international games
In 2026, the NFL will hold a record nine international regular-season games. After Melbourne, debut games are set to take place in Rio de Janeiro and Paris. The league will also hold games in London, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.
NFL club owners have already approved holding 10 international games in the 2027 season. This is the maximum number of games outside the United States permitted by the league’s current collective bargaining agreement with players. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell previously said he would like to increase the number of overseas games to 16 per season and also expressed confidence that eventually one of the clubs could be permanently based outside the United States.
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Clubs’ marketing rights
Growing the fan base abroad is part of the NFL’s strategy. In 2022, the league launched the Global Markets Program, under which teams receive marketing rights for designated international markets. All NFL clubs have at least one such market.
The Los Angeles Rams have marketing rights in Australia, so they will be the de facto home team in the Melbourne game. The club also holds such rights in China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. The 49ers will play in Mexico later this year, where the team also has marketing rights.
NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said the league seeks to gradually expand its international presence by selecting appropriate markets. According to him, having a favorite team is an important factor in a fan’s long-term attachment to the sport.
Before the start of this season, 62 NFL regular-season games had been held outside the United States. At the same time, international broadcasts face difficulties because of time zones: games scheduled for American prime time may take place at night in Europe or in the morning in Australia.
