Melbourne, Victoria will soon be the only city in the world to host an international Grand Slam, a Formula One Grand Prix – and now, in an Australian first – ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Football League (NFL) regular season games.
Premier Jacinta Allan joined Visit Victoria Chair Andy Penn and Visit Victoria board member Eddie McGuire at the MCG to announce the Allan Labor Government has secured a multi-year deal for Melbourne to host NFL regular season games, in a huge win for Victorian fans, jobs, and businesses.
The world’s most iconic stadium, the MCG, will welcome fans from around the globe next year for the first game. It will also welcome the Los Angeles Rams as the ‘host’ team.
American Football is the USA’s most popular sport. Victoria will be beamed live into lounge rooms everywhere with an average of almost 20 million Americans tuning into each NFL game in 2024, plus millions more worldwide.
Australia is a significant global market for the NFL, with a growing fan base of 6.6 million supporters. Thousands of these fans are expected to pack live sites across Melbourne for Monday morning’s Super Bowl LIX matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Super Bowl is the world’s biggest annual sporting event. With Melbourne set to host regular season games, it means whoever is victorious at the ‘G will be one step closer to NFL’s holy grail.
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.
Last week, the Allan Labor Government secured a deal with Melbourne Airport for Delta Air Lines to deliver three new direct flights per week from L.A. to Melbourne from December this year – with more services to be added.
Register for more info about ticketing, dates and the second team to travel to Australia at nfl.com/melbourne
As stated by Premier Jacinta Allan
“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.”
“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.”
As stated by Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans on the hallowed turf of the MCG.”
“It is a massive coup, thousands of jobs, millions of people watching our state – a huge boost to the Victorian economy.”
As stated by Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements
“Victoria is the natural home for the world’s best major events. All the must-see, big-ticket items are here and the fact the NFL will play its first regular season game in Melbourne confirms our status as Australia’s sporting and events capital.”
As stated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth.”
“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.”
