Seven’s NFL Melbourne game reaches 2.19 million Australians – Seven says the historic San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams regular-season clash at the MCG reached 2.19 million Australians across Seven and 7plus Sport.
The result is a major early marker for Seven’s new NFL rights deal, with the first regular-season NFL game staged in Australia delivering the broadcaster’s biggest-ever audience for the competition. It also points to substantial local demand for free-to-air NFL coverage as Seven moves through its first full season with the rights.
Record audience for the Melbourne game
The blockbuster 49ers v Rams clash drew a national total TV audience of 938,000, according to Seven, making it the most-watched regular-season NFL game ever screened by the network.
More than 100,000 fans attended the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, while the broadcast reached 2.19 million Australians in total across Seven and 7plus Sport.
Seven says its NFL pre-game coverage reached 1.21 million Australians and drew a national total TV audience of 526,000. The post-game reached 1.17 million people, with 480,000 watching nationally on total TV.
7plus Sport sets a platform record
More than 155,000 people watched the game on 7plus Sport alone, making it the streaming platform’s biggest audience for an NFL match. Seven says the figure underlines the growing Australian appetite for the sport during the network’s first season under its new broadcast agreement.
The wider day of coverage began with a special Sunrise broadcast from Melbourne. Ben Graham and Nick Riewoldt featured in Seven’s match coverage alongside NFL legends Jerry Rice, Todd Gurley, Patrick Willis and Cliff Avril.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and San Francisco 49ers CEO Al Guido also appeared, while interviews with Rams running back Kyren Williams and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy formed part of the broadcast. The Jonas Brothers performed at half-time.
Seven eyes the rest of the NFL season
Seven Executive Producer of NFL Kirsty Bradmore said the audience demonstrated what the league can achieve locally, particularly with a Friday-morning free-to-air broadcast. Ben Graham described the result as an outstanding outcome for the first regular-season NFL game played in Australia.
NFL Australia and New Zealand General Manager Charlotte Offord said the Melbourne game was an important milestone for the league and reinforced the opportunity for further growth in the Australian market.
Seven’s coverage continues through the 2026 season with twice-weekly NFL Tailgate, the play-offs and Super Bowl LXI, live and free on Channel 7 and 7plus Sport.
For more TV Central NFL news, head here. Watch NFL on 7plus Sport.