In an Australian first, the National Football League has announced a multiyear commitment to play regular season games in Melbourne beginning in 2026.
Melbourne’s iconic stadium, the MCG, will welcome fans from around the globe next year for the first game. It will also welcome the Los Angeles Rams as the ‘host’ team.
American Football is the USA’s most popular sport. Victoria will be beamed live into lounge rooms everywhere with an average of almost 20 million Americans tuning into each NFL game in 2024, plus millions more worldwide.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
“We’re thrilled the NFL will be touching down in the sporting capital of Australia. Victoria is now the first-ever state in Australia to host a regular season NFL game,” said Premier Jacinta Allan. “It’s a win for jobs, a win for businesses and a win for fans who will get to see American football played at the iconic MCG.”
Australia is a significant global market for the NFL with a growing fan base of 6.6 million across the country.
The Rams, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, hold marketing rights in Australia as part of the league’s Global Markets Program — an initiative that awards NFL clubs international marketing rights to build brand awareness and fandom beyond the U.S.
The Rams’ opponent, along with game date and kickoff time, will be announced at a later date.
Fans can register to receive information on the 2026 NFL Melbourne game here: nfl.com/Melbourne
