NFL’s First Australia Game Streams Exclusively on Netflix

Last Updated on September 10, 2026 by Matte Akerson

The NFL played its first-ever regular-season game in Australia on Sept. 10-11, 2026, with the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – and it streamed exclusively on Netflix. For the first time, a live NFL regular-season game was a Netflix exclusive, with no extra charge for subscribers. That exclusivity also raises a real geo-unblock question for fans traveling or watching from outside their home region.

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What Happened

The 49ers and Rams, NFC West rivals, met in Melbourne as the league kicked off its first regular-season game “down under.” The game tipped off at 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT on Thursday, Sept. 10 in the United States, which was 10:35 a.m. AEST on Friday, Sept. 11 in Australia. Pregame coverage started an hour and a half earlier.

The matchup doubled as a milestone for the NFL's international push and a platform test for Netflix. It also marked Myles Garrett's debut for the Rams after the blockbuster trade. For the first time, a regular-season NFL game was a Netflix exclusive, available to every subscriber at no extra cost – a sign of how far the streamer's live-sports ambitions have grown since its first NFL games on Christmas Day in 2024.

Key Facts

Event: NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Australia, 49ers vs. Rams.
Kickoff: 8:35 p.m. ET / 5:35 p.m. PT (Sept. 10 US time); 10:35 a.m. AEST (Friday, Sept. 11 in Melbourne).
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia.
Broadcast: Exclusive on Netflix – included in all plans, no extra charge. Local Los Angeles and San Francisco markets could also watch on NBC affiliates (KNBC and KNTV).
Subscriptions: Netflix's US plans range from $8.99/month (Standard with ads) to $26.99/month (Premium).
Context: Part of the NFL's 2026 International Series, a record nine games across seven countries.

What It Means

Netflix as a global NFL broadcaster is great for subscribers who already pay – but it reintroduces the geo problem. Netflix's library and live feeds are tied to the region you connect from. If you're a US subscriber traveling abroad, your hotel or local connection may land on a different Netflix catalog, and the game stream might not show up where you expect it. Connecting to a server in your home region is the standard fix, and using a VPN makes that switch reliable while you stream. Just keep your login and region consistent, and check the service's Terms of Service before you rely on any workaround.

Related Guide

Sports streaming keeps getting more fragmented across networks and apps. For step-by-step help catching live games on a specific service, see our guide to how to watch TNT Sports in the USA.

Source: Netflix Tudum; additional reporting via USA Today and NBC Sports.

Note: Geo-restrictions vary by region and streaming service. Check your local laws and the service's Terms of Service before using a VPN to bypass any regional block.