Overview
- Goodell, speaking Friday at Melbourne Cricket Ground, said the league will return to Australia and hinted at a 2027 game.
- The first NFL regular-season game in Australia features the 49ers and Rams on September 10, 2026, with local kickoff on September 11 at the MCG.
- Kyle Shanahan called the Week 1 trip a burden with no postgame bye, a worry Goodell said he understands.
- League leaders see global TV and streaming growth as the key to making overseas games pay, yet London’s two-decade run shows slow traction and Brazil’s free YouTube stream drew about 1.2 million international viewers.
- If Australia becomes a recurring stop, the NFL may move future games later in the season to enable byes, as it expands international sites to Germany, Brazil, Ireland, Spain and France.