NFL Seeking To Expand Their International Reach To Australia
Yesterday, the National Football League made known a commitment they have made with the “Land Down Under”. Their announcement solidified and confirmed that the NFL is seeking to expand their international reach to Australia. They announced a multiyear commitment to play regular season games in Melbourne, Australia beginning in 2026. The NFL’s first-ever regular season game in Australia will be played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2026, with the Los Angeles Rams as the designated team.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had this to say about the expansion:
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth. Together with the Victorian State Government, Visit Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, 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.”
Australia is looking forward to the partnership with the NFL seeing the advantages that it can provide to the country. Premier of Victoria Jacinta Allan said:
“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. 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.”
With the Los Angeles Rams being the designated team, Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke chimed in on the Australian partnership.
“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.”
NFL Seeking To Expand Their International Reach To Australia
The potential for Australia to be a profitable market looks good as they have a growing fan base of 6.6 million across the country. The NFL is committed to investing in the development of the game year-round across the continent and across the Asia-Pacific region. The NFL opened its Australia and New Zealand office in 2022 on Australia’s Gold Coast. They established an NFL Flag football program in 2022 and officially launched the NFL Academy APAC in 2024.
How this expansion into Australia will impact U.S. fans remains to be seen. The more the NFL schedules games in other countries, the fewer games will be available in the U.S. Could the international expansion alienate American fans? Maybe, or maybe not. However, this expansion could potentially be why Goodell is so intent on an 18-game season. He needs more games to spread around I suppose.
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