NFL schedules Rams-49ers matchup in Melbourne for first regular-season game in Australia
The Los Angeles Rams will face NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first NFL regular-season game hosted in Australia. The league announced the date and time for the matchup on Wednesday.
The game is set for Sept. 11, with kickoff at 10:35 a.m. local time Friday, equivalent to 8:35 p.m. ET Thursday. Broadcast details have not been confirmed.
The Rams hold the NFL's international home marketing rights for Australia and New Zealand.[1] "We are thrilled to kick off our season in Melbourne, enhancing an already historic moment for both the NFL and the Rams," Rams Head of International Stephanie Cheng said in a statement. She added that recent visits showed growing excitement in Melbourne for the game.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground, with a capacity of 100,024, is the world's largest cricket venue.[2]
The NFL also announced plans for the upcoming season to begin on a Wednesday night, Sept. 9, when the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks host an opponent. This will mark the second Wednesday season opener in league history.
The only prior Wednesday kickoff for Week 1 occurred in 2012, when the New York Giants hosted the Dallas Cowboys. That game was shifted from Thursday due to President Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention.[3]
The NFL staged its first regular-season game outside North America in 2007 and has expanded internationally since, including a Week 1 Friday night matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2024.[4]
Sources
- Los Angeles Rams. "Rams Announce Australia & New Zealand as NFL International Home Market." August 7, 2019. https://www.therams.com/news/rams-announce-australia-new-zealand-as-nfl-international-home-market
- Melbourne Cricket Ground. "Venue Information." Accessed December 2024. https://www.mcg.org.au/about/venue-information
- NFL.com. "Giants-Cowboys Week 1 kickoff moved to Wednesday night." September 5, 2012. https://www.nfl.com/news/giants-cowboys-week-1-kickoff-moved-to-wednesday-night--16963879/
- NFL.com. "Eagles-Packers to kick off 2024 NFL season Friday, Sept. 6 in São Paulo, Brazil." May 15, 2024. https://www.nfl.com/news/eagles-packers-to-kick-off-2024-nfl-season-friday-sept-6-in-s-o-paulo-brazil
