The Los Angeles Rams will be one of the first two teams to play a National Football League regular season game in Australia next season.
According to a statement released by the league on Wednesday, the Rams will be the home team for the game scheduled during the 2025 season. They’ll host an unannounced team at the Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“Expanding to Melbourne, Australia, a beautiful city with a rich sports history, underlines our ambitions to become a global sport and accelerate international growth,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. “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.”
It’s just one game in what the NFL called a multiyear commitment to playing in Australia in an effort to grow the game, similar to the London Games and the upcoming Berlin Game and Madrid Game coming in 2025.
Since the league began their international marketing program in 2022, the Rams and Philadelphia Eagles have held marketing rights to Australia. They’ve made a number of moves since then to try and grow their brand including a Rams Australia Instagram, a Super Bowl LVI Trophy Tour through Sydney and Melbourne and visits from Ram legends like Torry Holt and Tod Gurley.
“Today is an exciting day for Rams fans across the world, especially in Australia, where our players and organization have received an enthusiastic reception over the past few years when we have been in market,” said Rams owner Stan Kroenke. “This is the next important step for both the Rams and the broader Kroenke Sports & Entertainment family to continue to expand our reach globally, and we are thrilled to work with Commissioner Goodell and the league office to make history and bring the first NFL regular season game to Australia.”
