79006

The NFL’s ongoing international expansion will see the competition stage its first regular-season fixture in Australia next year - to be played at the MCG.

Following discussions with the Victorian Government, the League has committed to a multi-year agreement to stage matches in Melbourne.

The Los Angeles Rams, who, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, hold marketing rights in Australia as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program, will serve as the designated home team for the 2026 game.

Announcing the deal, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement “expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth.

"We look forward to making history in what is an important market for the NFL and a significant next step in expanding our international footprint."

Speaking at the MCG on this morning, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan described the deal as "a major touchdown" for Victoria, noting "Melbourne will become the only city in the world that will host an international tennis grand slam, a Formula One Grand Prix and now an NFL regular-season game.”

Premier Allan did not disclose how much money the Victorian Government had contributed to secure the NFL match.

The deal will see Melbourne become the latest overseas city to host a regular-season NFL game, joining London, Mexico City, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo and Toronto.

The NFL has already announced games in Berlin and Madrid for the 2025 season.

Advising that there had been a competitive bidding war to secure the fixture, Visit Victoria board member Eddie McGuire commented “the focus for the NFL and their international expansion and their games is to go to iconic places and there's no more iconic place than Melbourne, Australia and the MCG.

"This is the place where the first Test cricket game was played. This is the place where the first game of Australian rules football was played. This is the place where the first Olympic Games in the Southern Hemisphere was conducted.

"It has been the theatre of dreams for so long and now it's going to be the first place in Australia where (NFL) games will be played for points."

By contrast, the NSW Tourism Association has expressed "deep disappointment" that Melbourne will host the fixture.

NSW Tourism Association Chief Executive, Natalie Godward stated "this is an epic failure for the NSW Government and Destination NSW.”

"This event would have delivered massive economic benefits and global exposure for our state. Instead, we are seeing a huge, missed opportunity while Victoria secure worldclass events that should be coming here.”

NFL’s International Growth
Stan Kroenke, owner and chairman of the Rams, added “when we first identified Australia as one of our global markets, it was not only because of our passionate fans who reside there, but also because of the important role Los Angeles plays in serving as a gateway to Australia and many countries across the Pacific.

“Today is an exciting day for Rams fans across the world, especially in Australia, where our players and organisation have received an enthusiastic reception over the past few years when we have been in the market.

“This is the next important step for both the Rams and the broader Kroenke Sports & Entertainment family to continue to expand our reach globally, and we are thrilled to work with Commissioner Goodell and the league office to make history and bring the first NFL regular season game to Australia.”

The Rams’ opponent, along with the game data and kick off time, will be announced at a later date. It has been reported that the game could be played in the late morning in Melbourne, making it more convenient for US TV audiences.

Today’s announcement comes after the NFL opened its Australia and New Zealand office in 2022 on the Gold Coast. The NFL has described Australia as a “significant global market” for its product and claims to have a fan base of 6.6 million people in the country.

The NFL staged a preseason match between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers at Sydney's Stadium Australia in 1999.

Image: Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams #23 runs the ball fighting off pressure from the Green Bay Packers during an NFL game at SoFi Stadium in California, USA on Sunday 6th October 2024. The Rams will play at the MCG in 2026. Credit: Shutterstock.

Related Articles

16th January 2025 - SportNXT 2025 to address key issues facing sport

30th December 2024 - MCG’s Boxing Day Test breaks attendance record for cricket crowd in Australia

29th September 2024 - MCG welcomes crowd of more than 100,000 fans for AFL grand final

11th September 2024 - New route for AFL Grand Final Parade through Melbourne Park and MCG precincts

10th July 2024 - NRL to return to Las Vegas to open 2025 season

20th May 2024 - Inaugural ‘value study’ reveals Melbourne & Olympic Parks precinct contribution to Victorian economy

15th April 2024 - Australian Grand Prix to open 2025 Formula 1 season

26th March 2024 - Women’s Test cricket set to return to the MCG for first time in over 75 years

14th March 2024 - MCG introduces major security upgrades ahead of AFL season opener

26th February 2024 - MCG links with 24/7 Software to improve venue security

17th July 2023 - Major League Baseball to stage first ever regular-season games in South Korea

22nd April 2022 - NFL announces General Manager appointments to lead growth in Australia along with the UK

4th February 2022 - NFL legend Brett Favre involved with Melbourne trials of world-first concussion treatment

2nd August 2019 - MLB China hires former Fox Network Asia Vice-President as Managing Director

20th August 2018 - NFL draft event to be held on the Gold Coast

14th November 2016 - NFL partners with NEXTVR to offer virtual sport experience

3rd September 2018 - Future stars assessed at Major League Baseball Invitational in Lismore

13th November 2014 - Major League Baseball named Australia’s top event, Sydney Showgrounds named best venue

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

Click here to view our subscription options.