NFL in Australia: Why are Los Angeles Rams playing San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne?

Live NFL games have been broadcast in Australia since 1995 and a pre-season exhibition game was held in Sydney in 1999.

Local interest has soared since 2022, though, when the NFL made the global growth of American football a strategic priority.

The league pivoted away from a potential overseas franchise to playing more games internationally. It has invested in new markets before deciding whether to take a game there, holding year-round events to build the fanbase.

Australian players Jordan Mailata (Philadelphia) and Michael Dickson (Seattle) have also captured the imagination down under, playing for the past two Super Bowl winners.

According to the league, the number of fans in Australia has nearly doubled since 2022 to 8.8 million – almost one in three of the country’s entire population.

That includes those flooding to one of the world’s fastest-growing sports, flag football – the non-contact version of American football.

The NFL played a big part in flag being approved for its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028 and has expanded the sport from 10 schools in Australia to more than 500.

Now it aims to help flag football secure a spot at Brisbane 2032, with NFL executive Peter O’Reilly acknowledging that is a key reason for playing in Australia.