ESPN remains home of US sports in Australia and New Zealand with expanded NFL coverage – ESPN has confirmed a new NFL coverage package for Australia and New Zealand. It includes the historic first regular season NFL game in Australia, RedZone on Disney+ and a full season of live ESPN coverage.
The deal keeps ESPN at the centre of US sports coverage locally. It also places the NFL Melbourne Game inside a wider season package across ESPN, Disney+, Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ. For Australian fans, the MCG match now sits alongside weekly games, RedZone, playoffs and Super Bowl coverage.
The Los Angeles Rams will play the San Francisco 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, 11 September. ESPN and Disney+ will carry a dedicated local live broadcast. Coverage begins at 8.30am AEST, with kick-off at 10.35am AEST.
NFL Melbourne Game coverage
ESPN says the Melbourne broadcast will include extensive build-up, commentary and analysis from its NFL team. Up to 100,000 fans are expected at the MCG for the landmark regular season game.
The match will also feature a halftime performance from the Jonas Brothers. That gives the game a major entertainment element as the NFL stages one of its biggest Australian events to date.
Kylie Watson-Wheeler, senior vice president and managing director of The Walt Disney Company Australia and New Zealand, said ESPN and Disney+ viewers would have a prime position for the Melbourne game. She described the Rams-49ers match as an unmissable moment in the sporting calendar.
NFL Australia and New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord said ESPN remains an important partner for the league. ESPN has broadcast the NFL into Australia since 1995, and the league says it now has 8.8 million fans across Australia.
RedZone on Disney+
ESPN has also extended rights to NFL RedZone on Disney+ exclusively in Australia and New Zealand. A selection of other live NFL content will also stream through the service.
Across the 2026/27 season, ESPN will show at least six live NFL games each week. The line-up also includes NFL RedZone, every NFL Playoff game, the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl LXI.
Fans will also get NFL Minis, full game replays and highlights across ESPN. As a result, viewers can follow the season beyond the live game windows.
Season opener and Super Bowl LXI
The 2026/27 NFL season starts on Thursday, 10 September AEST. The New England Patriots will face the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch.
The season will build toward Super Bowl LXI in Los Angeles in February 2027. The Walt Disney Company and ESPN will produce the Super Bowl for the global NFL audience for the first time.
ESPN will also run a weeklong Super Bowl presence along Santa Monica Beach. A purpose-built central broadcast centre will support its programming around the game.
How to watch ESPN
ESPN and ESPN2 are available in Australia and New Zealand through Disney+, Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV and Sky NZ.
For more sports broadcast news, visit TV Central’s ESPN section and NFL coverage. Disney+ is available in Australia at disneyplus.com/en-au.