Netflix will air NFL Week 1 game in Australia between 49ers, Rams: Sources

AFC EastBillsDolphinsJetsPatriotsAFC NorthBengalsBrownsRavensSteelersAFC SouthColtsJaguarsTexansTitansAFC WestBroncosChargersChiefsRaidersNFC EastCommandersCowboysEaglesGiantsNFC NorthBearsLionsPackersVikingsNFC SouthBuccaneersFalconsPanthersSaintsNFC West49ersCardinalsRamsSeahawksScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyNFL OddsNFL PicksNFL DraftPodcastsNFL Newsletter2027 NFL Free AgentsPost-Draft OutlooksPower RankingsEarly 2027 Mock DraftThe BeastNetflix will air NFL Week 1 game in Australia between 49ers, Rams: Sources2025 NFL MVP Matt Stafford will open the 2026 season in Australia and on Netflix. Jane Gershovich / Getty Images Share articleNetflix will air the NFL’s first-ever regular season game from Australia during the 2026 season’s opening week, sources briefed on the move tell The Athletic. The streaming platform will air the Week 1 game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, September 10, kicking off at 8:35 p.m. ET from Melboure Cricket Ground, the largest stadium in Australia. The early-season deal bookends Netflix’s current broadcast relationship with the NFL, which has included two games on Christmas Day the past two seasons and will continue in December 2026. Fox will air a third Christmas game in primetime. The NFL and Netflix declined comment. In March, Netflix exclusively broadcast the season-opening game of the 2026 MLB season, featuring the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants, part of a three-event deal with MLB that includes the Home Run Derby on July 14 and the “Field of Dreams” game on August 13. Netflix’s live sports portfolio also includes combat sports like boxing and MMA, along with the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031. The NFL’s global expansion for the regular season will feature nine international games in 2026, with the league’s first-ever appearance in two cities: Paris, featuring the New Orleans Saints, and Rio, featuring the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys. There will also be international regular-season games played in Mexico City, Madrid and Munich, plus three games in London. The specific two-team pairings for the full slate of international game will be clarified during the league’s upcoming schedule release, which will happen Wednesday or Thursday according to league sources. The league is expected to have a slight increase in nationally broadcast games, with the addition of the Netflix game in Australia and other potential games moving to YouTube, including games that previously were part of ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” double-header allotment, whose rights went back to the league when ESPN acquired NFL Network in exchange for the NFL receiving a 10% equity stake in ESPN. The league has talked previously about its interest in reflecting fan consumption habits adapting to streaming outlets like YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. There has also been scrutiny of pro sports leagues’ accessibility through traditional television bundles versus individual subscription-only services. The NFL has reiterated that 87% of its game inventory is available through broadcast outlets. As with its two Christmas Day games, the Netflix game in Australia in September will require a subscription fee to access it, except in local markets, where games will be available on over-the-air TV, which is the standard protocol for all NFL games airing nationally. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms