Last week the Victorian Government announced that it had secured a multi-year deal to host regular season NFL games.
With NFL proving increasingly popular with Australian audiences for many years now, the Victorian Government has secured a deal with the NFL to bring regular season games to Melbourne starting in 2026.
The MCG will welcome fans from around the globe next year for the first game, with the Los Angeles Rams to play as the ‘host’ team.
Australia is a significant global market for the NFL, with a growing fan base of 6.6 million supporters. Thousands of these fans have packed live sites across Melbourne for this morning’s Super Bowl LIX matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs; as well as in pubs and sports across the country.
Pubs have been hosting Super Bowl events for several years now, as well as activating regular round games as a way to bring in a lunch crowd and keep them around for longer.
AHA(Vic) CEO Paddy O’Sullivan said that the state’s pubs welcomed the NFL deal, as another boost to its venues.
“AHA (Vic) welcomes this announcement – and any major events in Melbourne,” said O’Sullivan.
“The best place to watch sport is at your local pub – and big events like this in Melbourne mean busy pubs brimming with great atmosphere.”
“And the tourism this will bring will mean accommodation hotels will be full – and hopefully once people experience the best Melbourne has to offer, they head out to the regions and experience them as well.”
There are 1,200 non-stop flights between Melbourne and the US each year, taking about 435,000 people. Leisure travellers from the USA spent $239 million in Victoria in the last year.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the NFL news cemented Melbourne’s role as Australia’s sporting capital.
“Another touchdown for the sporting capital of Australia.”
“Only Victoria can host an international grand slam, only Victoria can experience the Formula 1 Grand Prix, only Victoria can break records with the Boxing Day Test – and Victoria is now the only city in Australia to host the NFL,” stated the Premier.
“It’s a win for jobs, a win for businesses and a win for fans who will get to see American Football played in the best stadium in the world.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was part of the sport’s strategy to grow the game in international markets.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” stated Goodell.
“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.”
Steve Dimopoulos, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events added that it would be a huge boost for business in the state.
“It is a massive coup, thousands of jobs, millions of people watching our state – a huge boost to the Victorian economy.”
You can register for more information on ticketing, dates and the second team to travel to Australia at www.nfl.com/melbourne.