NFL’s Plans for Australia: Week One Games
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE, Sept 3 (Reuters) – The NFL is considering hosting its week one games in Australia long-term, citing travel concerns for later schedule dates, as stated by a senior executive on Thursday.
Next week, the NFL will kick off its first game in Australia with the Los Angeles Rams facing the San Francisco 49ers at Melbourne’s 100,000-seat Cricket Ground, under a multiyear agreement with the Victoria state government.
Due to the 14-hour flight from the U.S. West Coast to Melbourne, there are concerns over the teams’ ability to adequately prepare for their subsequent week two games. NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly emphasized the importance of playing in week one, given the extensive travel involved.
In March, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expressed skepticism about the benefits of traveling to Australia without a bye week following the game, noting it was a “cool” initiative for global outreach but challenging for teams.
The Rams and 49ers are each approaching their preparations differently: the 49ers plan to arrive a week early for acclimatization, while the Rams will arrive just a day before the game.
The matchup aligns with the ongoing Australian Football League (AFL) playoffs, drawing large crowds to the MCG, which is typically occupied during this time.
While the NFL will finalize its 2027 schedule post-2026 season, it aims to establish annual games in Australia, viewing it as a valuable growth market. This will require negotiations with the AFL, which holds events during finals weekends at the MCG.
O’Reilly concluded, “We have great partners in the MCG and the AFL, and know we’ll work to a good solution there that allows the NFL to continue to play in Australia on an ongoing basis.”
The AFL did not provide a comment on the matter.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
