Melbourne beat bids from Sydney and Perth to safe the rights for the primary regular-season NFL recreation to be held in Australia.
The NFL on Thursday morning confirmed the sport will probably be held on the MCG in 2026 and have the Los Angeles Rams, who will surrender certainly one of solely 9 dwelling video games within the 2026 season to play in Melbourne.
Whereas their opponent and precise date of the sport has not been introduced, it was earlier reported the Philadelphia Eagles would even be coming Down Underneath.
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The sport can be anticipated to be held within the opening week of the competitors in September, doubtlessly clashing with the AFL’s finals sequence.
The Rams and Eagles maintain present advertising and marketing rights in Australia beneath the league’s International Markets Program.
Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams. Getty
Outdoors the USA, the NFL has additionally held common season video games in London, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Mexico Metropolis and Toronto.
Talking to media together with Extensive World of Sports activities on Thursday, NFL govt vice chairman Peter O’Reilly mentioned the growth into Australia was “an enormous assertion”.
“In all probability a number of years in the past you won’t have thought his was a actuality, however the commissioner and the 32 homeowners share a dedication to changing into a world sport correctly,” he mentioned from New Orleans, which is able to host the Tremendous Bowl on Monday morning (AEDT).
“Meaning increasing our footprint. Meaning going to totally different elements of the world … and we go (to Melbourne) as a result of there’s such a robust fanbase already. It will solely speed up that.”
O’Reilly was joined within the announcement by Victorian sports activities minister Steve Dimopoulos, LA Rams president Kevin Demoff, and the NFL’s AUNZ boss Charlotte Offord.
O’Reilly mentioned the NFL held discussions about taking the sport to Perth and Sydney earlier than Melbourne emerged as the popular vacation spot.
“Australia is lucky to have a number of nice cities, nice stadia … the partnership with the individuals right here in the present day, the partnership with the stadium, allowed Melbourne to emerge as this primary associate. And definitely there are nice cities, however that is the place we’ll take our first step.”
Demoff mentioned the Rams had been “the primary to boost our arms and say ‘we need to play in that first recreation in Australia’.”
“We at all times view ourselves because the franchise of firsts, and to dream massive, and what higher alternative to play the primary common season recreation in Australia within the league’s historical past,” he mentioned.
“We couldn’t be extra excited.
“We have had so many gamers go to Australia and speak about how a lot of a significant expertise it was to them.
“For our model, sitting within the coronary heart of LA … for us to go worldwide and quit recreation at SoFi Stadium, it needed to be a really significant alternative, and this match the invoice from the start.”
O’Reilly steered the matches won’t be held yearly, and whether or not or not the Rams could be an everyday function could be determined after the primary recreation.
“We’re targeted on 2026 when it comes to designated staff proper now,” he mentioned.
“It’s a multi-year dedication, which suggests it is greater than the sport – it is a year-round partnership as we work with Victoria and Melbourne.
“There will probably be a number of video games available in the market. What we’ll work by way of as we concentrate on 2026 is what the suitable cadence is.”
The NFL’s growth into Australia started three years in the past when it opened an workplace, adopted by an academy on the Gold Coast final yr.
“Increasing to Melbourne, Australia, an attractive metropolis with a wealthy sports activities historical past, underlines our ambitions to turn into a world sport and speed up worldwide progress,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell mentioned in an announcement.
“Along with the Victorian state authorities, Go to Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Floor, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, we sit up for making historical past in what is a crucial marketplace for the NFL and a big subsequent step in increasing our worldwide footprint.”
Jordan Mailata, a former junior rugby league participant from Sydney, will play Monday’s Tremendous Bowl for Philadelphia.
At a Tremendous Bowl media name earlier this week Mailata was requested about the opportunity of NFL video games being performed in Australia.
“It’d imply every part to deliver a recreation again dwelling. Only for eyes and viewership,” Mailata mentioned.
“I actually need this recreation to develop again dwelling, so if we are able to deliver a recreation again there to generate curiosity and hold the expansion of the sport going, that’d imply so much to me.
“The perfect factor about soccer is you could play at any dimension, at any top. I am 6 foot 8 (203cm), however there are guys on my staff (who’re so much smaller).
“There are totally different heights and totally different sizes of each teammate of mine, and I believe that is what makes the game lovely.”
