In a landmark moment for Australian sports broadcasting, the Seven Network announced it has secured the exclusive domestic rights for the 2026 NFL season.

This historic broadcast agreement includes the first-ever regular season NFL game on Australian soil, live from the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday, 11 September, broadcast on Seven and 7plus Sport.

Fans across the nation will have front-row seats as one of the NFL’s fiercest rivalries - the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams - come together for the local morning broadcast. As the undisputed free-to-air home of the NFL in Australia, Seven and 7plus Sport will deliver comprehensive coverage throughout the full 2026 season, including key weekly matches, the playoffs, and the ultimate sporting spectacle: the Super Bowl.

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Beyond the historic MCG game, Seven will broadcast a bumper weekly lineup of NFL action throughout the 2026 season, bringing fans the best games every week.

Fans can look forward to even more analysis this season as Seven extends its dedicated weekly show, NFL Tailgate, to twice a week. The expanded lineup will deliver the latest news, analysis, and highlights from across the league, with a comprehensive Friday preview program followed by a Monday morning review show.

Southern Cross Media Group’s Managing Director and CEO, Rohan Lund said: “Seven’s dominance in sport is unmatched, and securing the free to air exclusive rights to the NFL, headlined by the historic first regular season game at the MCG, is a landmark moment.

“Australians possess an unrivalled passion for live sport, and our focus is on bringing the world’s biggest sporting spectacles to local audiences completely free. By combining the scale of free-to-air broadcast with the flexibility of 7plus Sport, our multi-platform expertise ensures that every fan, no matter how or where they watch, gets a front-row seat to the action.

“The NFL has captured the imagination of local fans like never before. We look forward to bringing the incredible energy of this global phenomenon to life, delivering an unforgettable, world-class experience for both our audiences and commercial partners.”

NFL General Manager Australia and New Zealand, Charlotte Offord, said: “Growing fandom in Australia and globally is at the core of the NFL’s international strategy, and being able to work together with great media partners like the Seven Network to reach the widest audiences is critical to us being able to achieve that.

“The 2026 season will see Australian fans able to access comprehensive broadcast coverage live and free on Seven and 7plus Sport, including key tent pole moments like the NFL Melbourne Game and Super Bowl LXI. This market continues to be a priority for the NFL, and we are excited to be working with Seven to build on the passion of our existing fans while welcoming new ones to experience the sport together.”

Southern Cross Media Group’s Director of Sport, TV, Audio and Streaming, Chris Jones said: “Securing the NFL rights is a huge win for Seven and couldn’t come at a better time. With the first-ever regular season NFL game heading to Melbourne, we’re seeing the incredible momentum the sport has built across Australia. Fan interest has never been stronger, and audiences are embracing the league in record numbers. This acquisition delivers a powerful back end to the year of sport, adding another premium global property to an already outstanding sporting calendar.”

Seven’s game-day coverage on Friday, 11 September will begin with a special broadcast of Sunrise live from Melbourne, before the main game coverage goes to air from 9.00am AEST.

The NFL agreement further reinforces Seven’s commitment to delivering the world’s biggest sports to Australian audiences for free. The blockbuster addition strengthens an extraordinary back end of the year on 7SPORT, which features the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, Australia v Bangladesh Test Series, the AFL Finals Series, the Summer of Cricket, the Repco Supercars Championship Bathurst 1000, and an epic Spring Racing Carnival.