NFL arrives in Melbourne with 49ers' upset over Rams
San Francisco 49ers beat Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the MCG in Australia's first regular-season NFL game, with 100,022 fans.
The NFL arrived in Australia on Friday with the San Francisco 49ers routing the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A sold-out crowd of 100,022 packed the venue.
Almost half the fans came from interstate or overseas. The match kicked off at 10am to align with US prime time.
The 49ers were pegged as underdogs but won decisively. The game is the first of a four-year deal between Australia and the NFL.
No fixture is guaranteed every year. Overseas fans made the long journey worthwhile, with supporters flying from the US and stopping over in other Pacific islands to break up the trip.
- San Francisco 27, Los Angeles 7
- Final score
- 100,022
- Attendance
- Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Venue
- Four years
- Deal length
Why it mattersAmerican football now has a permanent foothold in Australia, opening a new market and lifestyle destination for NFL fans globally.
AustraliaAustralia joins the worldwide NFL schedule, bringing major US sports tourism and media attention to Melbourne and the country.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 10 h ago
