Netflix is stepping up its NFL game in a major way, adding three more regular-season contests to its lineup—including a historic first for the league Down Under. The streaming giant announced during its upfront presentation in New York that it will air the NFL's first-ever regular-season game in Melbourne, Australia, featuring the Los Angeles Rams taking on the San Francisco 49ers on September 10. But that's just the start.
On Thanksgiving eve, November 25, Netflix will also stream a primetime showdown between the Rams and the Green Bay Packers at SoFi Stadium. And to close out the regular season, the platform will carry a Saturday game during the final week. Combined with the Christmas doubleheader Netflix has hosted since 2024, the streamer will now air five NFL games next season—a significant expansion of its sports footprint.
These five games originally belonged to ESPN's NFL package. ESPN gave up the rights after the league acquired a 10% stake in the Walt Disney Co.-owned entity. While many in the sports media world expected all five games to land with streamers like Netflix and YouTube, two of them will instead go to traditional broadcast partners: Fox (which will air an international game in the morning U.S. time slot) and NBC.
The decision to keep some games on broadcast TV comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over the migration of NFL contests from free, over-the-air television to subscription streaming services. President Trump and other politicians have raised concerns about fans being priced out of watching their favorite teams. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Fox Corp. Chairman Emeritus Rupert Murdoch visited Trump in February to warn that deep-pocketed streamers could push traditional networks out of the NFL market entirely. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has also been looking into whether the league's collective TV rights deals violate antitrust laws.
An NFL executive familiar with the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity, pushed back on any political motivation behind the broadcast assignments. "We always are looking for ways to increase reach at the benefit of our fans," the executive said, insisting the added broadcast games are unrelated to the Washington concerns.
For fans and fashion-forward football lovers alike, this expansion means more ways to catch the action—and more opportunities to gear up in your team's best apparel for every streaming showdown. Whether you're hosting a Thanksgiving eve watch party or tuning in from Down Under, make sure your wardrobe is game-ready.