Australia to Host Regular-Season NFL Game

Melbourne Cricket Ground can hold about 100K people
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 5, 2025 6:05 PM CST
Australia to Host Regular-Season NFL Game
This image taken with a fisheye lens shows a general view of the Melbourne Cricket Ground during a match between South Africa and India in 2015.   (AP Photo/Theo Karanikos, File)

The NFL is expanding its international footprint to Australia. The league announced Wednesday that it will play a game in 2026 in Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which holds about 100,000 spectators. The Los Angeles Rams will be the home team for that game, part of a multiyear commitment to play in Melbourne. "This is a big statement," said league executive Peter O'Reilly, adding, "I'd say the commissioner, the 32 owners—there's a commitment to become a true global sport property." The Rams' opponent will be one of the nine teams they're scheduled to play at home that season.

O'Reilly said the game will likely be played in Week 1 to give the teams extra time to acclimate to the time zone and promote the sport. The game would likely be scheduled for prime time on the East Coast of the US, which could mean a start time of about noon in Melbourne. The NFL opened an academy in Australia last year to help develop promising teenagers in the Asia-Pacific region into college and pro prospects. The Super Bowl being played Sunday in New Orleans features Australia's most successful NFL player: Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata. The Rams have had marketing rights in Australia since the NFL started its international marketing program in 2022. In 1999, the Broncos and Chargers played a preseason game in Sydney, per CBS Sports.

(More NFL stories.)

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