Netflix is airing an NFL game from Australia; here’s what to know
Netflix is airing an NFL game from Australia; here’s what to know
After last night’s season opener, Netflix is kicking off its expanded NFL slate with the league’s first-ever game in Australia.
After last night’s season-opening Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, the NFL is officially heading Down Under. On Thursday, Sept. 10, the league will play its first-ever regular-season game in Australia, as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams meet at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The NFC West rivals will also help kick off Netflix’s expanded NFL coverage for the 2026 season, as the world’s largest streamer expands its slate of games from two Christmas Day contests to five this season. The game will stream exclusively on Netflix in the United States, with pregame coverage kicking off more than two hours before the game, and the evening will feature a broadcast team packed with familiar NFL names from the field and the booth. Here’s what you need to know about this first-of-its-kind game.
Everything you need to know about Netflix’s NFL Melbourne Game
When is the NFL Melbourne Game?
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will play on Thursday, Sept. 10, at 8:35 p.m. ET at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. Netflix’s expansive pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET. Due to the time difference created by Australia being on the other side of the world, the game will actually be played on Friday, Sept. 11 at 10:35 a.m. AEST in Melbourne.
The matchup marks the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia, adding Melbourne to the league’s growing list of international destinations, joining Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City this season.
How to watch the NFL Melbourne Game
The NFL Melbourne Game will stream live on Netflix. Unlike Netflix’s previous Christmas Day NFL games, this one comes during the opening week of the regular season, giving the streamer an NFL showcase before the traditional Sunday slate gets underway.
The game is included with every Netflix subscription tier, so existing subscribers will not need to purchase an additional sports package, add-on, or pay-per-view event. Viewers can simply open Netflix and select the NFL Melbourne Game stream; no doubt it will be at the top of your home screen for most of Thursday, whether you are a frequent Netflix sports viewer or not.
Will the game be broadcast on local channels?
Unfortunately no. Unlike some other streaming-exclusive games, Netflix’s slate of NFL contests will not have a local broadcast alternative for fans in the home markets of the teams playing. So, the only way to watch the game is to sign up for a subscription to Netflix.
Will the game have commercials?
Yes, regardless of which Netflix plan you are on, the game will come with commercial breaks. As is standard across streaming sports, all Netflix sporting events contain commercial breaks. So, if you are looking simply to sign up for Netflix for the game, it doesn’t matter whether you opt for the $9 per month Standard with Ads tier, the $20 monthly Standard plan, or the $27 per month Premium tier; all will have the exact same commercial interruptions.
Watch a preview of Netflix’s NFL Melbourne Game
Who will be on the Netflix broadcast team?
As she does with most of the streamer’s sports broadcasts, Elle Duncan will host Netflix’s pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage from Melbourne. She will be joined by a three-man studio crew including Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin, Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles, and six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews III.
Netflix has assembled a sizable broadcast team for its first NFL game of the season. Noah Eagle will handle play-by-play duties alongside former Carolina Panthers linebacker and 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Luke Kuechly, who will make his debut as a booth analyst.
Tom Pelissero and MJ Acosta-Ruiz will report from the sidelines, while former NFL official Terry McAulay will serve as the broadcast’s rules analyst. Pelissero is also joining Netflix under a multiyear agreement that will see the longtime NFL insider play a larger role in the company’s football coverage.
Netflix says the studio and game broadcast teams will return for additional games throughout its 2026-27 NFL schedule, so you can probably count on them being back for the Thanksgiving Eve Game, one of the Christmas Day Games, and the Week 18 contest on the streamer.
Who is performing at halftime of the NFL Melbourne Game?
While I probably would have preferred to have an Australian act like Kylie Minogue, Sia, Keith Urban, or even Natalie Imbruglia or Rick Springfield, the game will instead feature a performance by every millennial’s favorite band of brothers. The Jonas Brothers will headline the halftime show, giving Netflix another way to draw in viewers who might not normally be interested in tuning in to stream a football game on Thursday night.
Can you watch the NFL Melbourne Game outside the United States?
Yes, anywhere in the world where Netflix is supported will have access to the game. That means that the streamer’s slate of football games will be available in more than 200 countries during the 2026 season. The Melbourne Game will be available globally in English as well as French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, and Latin American Spanish, with dedicated announcing teams for the international-language broadcasts. Netflix is a global company, and given the NFL’s desire to continue its expansion around the world, this seems like only the beginning of what their partnership could become around the globe.
What other NFL games will stream on Netflix in 2026?
The Melbourne matchup is just the beginning of Netflix’s expanded NFL schedule. The streamer will carry the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game on Wednesday, Nov. 25, when the Green Bay Packers visit the Los Angeles Rams. Netflix will then continue its Christmas Day NFL tradition with two games on Friday, Dec. 25: the Packers vs. the Bears followed by the Bills vs. the Broncos.
Netflix will also stream a Week 18 game for the first time, with the specific matchup determined later in the season as the NFL excersices it flexible scheduling prerogative. However, given the value of the league’s partnership with Netflix, I would imagine that the game will be one of the week’s marquee matchups. In fact, if I had to make a prediction on what game it will be, I would go with either the Seahawks vs. Rams or Lions vs. Packers.
In addition to live games, Netflix will globally stream NFL Honors during Super Bowl week.
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