The NFL is officially going Down Under.
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet Thursday night at Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia. More than 100,000 fans are expected at the MCG.
Game information
- Matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026
- Location: Melbourne Cricket Ground — Melbourne, Australia
- Kickoff: 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT
- U.S. national stream: Netflix
- Netflix pregame: 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT
- U.S. TV: KNTV in the Bay Area and KNBC in Los Angeles
- Australia: ESPN via Kayo Sports/Foxtel and Disney+
- Radio: SiriusXM NFL Radio, plus each team’s local radio network
The game is not on Amazon Prime Video. Netflix has the U.S. streaming rights for this historic matchup.
The teams
Both clubs finished 12-5 last season, making this more than a novelty international matchup.
The Rams return essentially their entire elite 2025 offense, led by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Los Angeles also added All-Pro edge rusher Myles Garrett.
San Francisco counters with Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Nick Bosa. Kittle and Bosa are among the notable 49ers who are active after dealing with injuries.
The bizarre travel story
The biggest subplot might be how differently these teams approached Australia.
The 49ers arrived roughly a week before the game to acclimate to the 16-hour flight and massive time difference.
The Rams took the opposite approach.
Los Angeles arrived only about 28 hours before kickoff.
The Rams actually sent players to Australia earlier this year to test different travel strategies before settling on the plan.
Now we get to see which approach works.
Why this game matters
This isn’t an exhibition.
It’s Week 1.
It’s a divisional rivalry.
And it is the beginning of the NFL’s record nine-game international schedule across seven countries in 2026.
The Jonas Brothers will also perform during halftime.
So, basically, the NFL is throwing an NFC West rivalry into the world’s most famous cricket stadium and turning it into a global event.
If you’re watching tonight, Netflix is the place to be.
