NFL Melbourne Game Scores 18.5 Million U.S. Viewers on Netflix

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First-ever NFL regular season game in Australia peaked at 21.3 million viewers

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Deebo Samuel Sr. #19 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game against Los Angeles Rams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 11, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
(Image credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

MELBOURNE—The 2026 NFL Melbourne Game featuring the San Francisco 49ers versus Los Angeles Rams on Netflix averaged 18.5 million viewers in the U.S. according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel.

Viewership peaked at 21.3 million viewers in the U.S. between 9:30-9:45 p.m. ET. That means the game ranks among the top three most-streamed Thursday primetime NFL games.

49ers-Rams averaged 4.0 million viewers among P18-34, the highest non-Christmas streaming delivery for an NFL regular season game. Netflix now holds the top four highest-rated regular season NFL games among A18-34, including Christmas.

Globally, the matchup drew 21.7 million viewers, with fans from over 200 countries and territories tuning in for the first-ever NFL regular season game played in Australia.

49ers-Rams garnered over 14.5 million engagements across Netflix and NFL social channels.

In Australia, 49ers-Rams was the most-watched NFL game ever in the country.

Official attendance for 49ers-Rams was 100,021 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, ranking as the seventh-most attended regular season game in NFL history.

Source: Nielsen Big Data + Panel plus 1st party data from Netflix.

George Winslow
George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.