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Rams’ Australia marketing falls short of 49ers’ push

9/9/2026

23 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia.
Rams president Kevin Demoff said the team holds marketing rights for seven international markets, including Australia.
The 49ers arrived a week early, held public events, practiced on the Melbourne field, and engaged fans.
Analysts Dontay Atkinson and Chase Senior said the Rams’ outreach was weaker than the 49ers’ activities.

History

Historical Context

The NFL’s first regular-season game abroad occurred on Oct 2 2005, when the Arizona Cardinals beat the San Francisco 49ers at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca before 103,467 fans. Building on that precedent and the International Series’ growth, the league scheduled a 2024 regular-season contest in Melbourne, designating the Los Angeles Rams as host and the 49ers to run fan events, testing its Asia-Pacific expansion model.

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Story summary

The Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL’s first regular-season game in Australia.
Rams president Kevin Demoff said the team holds marketing rights for seven international markets, including Australia.
The 49ers arrived a week early, held public events, practiced on the Melbourne field, and engaged fans.
Analysts Dontay Atkinson and Chase Senior said the Rams’ outreach was weaker than the 49ers’ activities.

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