This new multi-year commitment, part of the league’s ambition to accelerate international growth, will begin in 2026.
The National Football League (NFL) continues to take international games to new markets. The league has just announced a multi-year commitment to play regular season games in Melbourne beginning in 2026. The NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), with the Los Angeles Rams as the designated team. The Rams’ opponent and the game date will be announced at a later stage.
During spring 2025 there will also be games in London and Wembley, when the NFL plays its 40th game in the British capital.
Australia is an important market for the NFL with a growing fan base of 6.6 million across the country, according to figures from the league itself.
The Rams, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, hold marketing rights in Australia as part of the NFL’s Global Markets Program. Since being awarded those rights, the Rams have expanded their presence in Australia through player initiatives and partnerships.
Started working in the Oceania already in 2022
The NFL opened its Australia and New Zealand office in 2022, established an NFL Flag football program – its official program for non-contact football – in 2022, and launched in 2024 the NFL Academy APAC, operated in partnership with A.B. Paterson College.
In 2025, the NFL has confirmed games in London, Berlin and Madrid. Fifty-five regular season NFL games have been played around the world throughout the league’s history. The NFL can now hold up to eight league-operated international regular season games every season.
