LA Rams Play First-Ever Regular-Season NFL Game In Australia

According to CNBC, the Los Angeles Rams will play the first-ever regular-season NFL game in Australia this week as the team continues to expand its presence in the country. Rams president Kevin Demoff said the club bought NFL marketing rights in Australia in 2021 under the league's Global Markets Program, giving it rights in seven international markets, mostly in the Pacific Rim, and allowing it to use logos and marks and work with local brands. The Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground at 10:35 a.m. Melbourne time on Friday, or 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the NFL is playing a record nine games outside the U.S. during the 2026 season. The Rams also built a 22-yard floating football field on the Yarra River for a public LA Tailgate experience. Demoff also said the recent NBA punishment of the Los Angeles Clippers over salary-cap circumvention was a lesson for all teams, and he commented on Kroenke Sports and Entertainment's pending deal to buy the Los Angeles Angels, saying the stadium's surrounding real estate is a key part of the plan.