The NFL just made a major move to reach a wider audience, but it is conflicting with football fans. 

On May 7, insider Ari Meriov shared an X post informing where the first game of the 2026 season would be broadcast.  

“The NFL has reached a deal with Netflix to air the Week 1 #Rams vs. #49ers game in Australia, which will be played Thursday night, Sept. 10 at 8:35 p.m. ET, per @AndrewMarchand.”

Meriov’s post is based on an article by The Athletic published on the same day. Netflix, a streaming platform, will air the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game set to play out in Australia.

This move is an extension of its international games, with nine games outside the USA  this year. 

“The streaming platform will air the Week 1 game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Sept. 10, with kickoff at 8:35 p.m. ET from Melbourne Cricket Ground, the largest stadium in Australia,” Dan Shanoff and Andrew Marchand wrote. 

According to The Athletic, the NFL and Netflix have signed a deal that includes “two games on Christmas Day the past two seasons and will continue in December 2026. Fox will air a third Christmas game in prime time.”

In an interview with Vanity Fair, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gave a reason for the league’s decision to broadcast games on Netflix. 

“Netflix is not a small distribution. In fact, you can make an argument it’s bigger than some of the networks,” he told Lachlan Cartwright in his article published on May 5. “The media landscape is changing quickly. People think we’re leading it. We’re actually going where the consumers are.” 

But, likely, Goodell is mistaken because the audience’s reaction to the agreement tells a different story altogether. 

Football Fans Let Their True Feelings Be Known

Under Ari Meriov’s X post, several NFL fans expressed their feelings over having to stream to watch games. 

One fan vehemently disagreed with the proposition and asked the authorities to limit the NFL to the USA.

“Booo!!! @nflcommish you have the platform and the cash if you need more hardware/software to do your own streaming with every game on it. When overseas it’s what we bought for about $200-$250 for every game preseason-SB live. You do that in USA and you’ll make so much more money!”

Another shared the same sentiments, which have intensified since ESPN acquired the NFL Network in exchange for a 10% equity stake in the cable network. 

“Don't know if anyone else is getting annoyed with the NFL games being on so many networks you can't keep track and your worn out trying to figure out what Network its on,” a comment said.

But some fans are pleased with the move that makes the NFL international.

One fan seemed happy that the season opener is being given so much importance.

"They treatin’ that game like it’s the Superbowl…The international expansion of American football continues!"

"Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 airing internationally on Netflix is basically NFL saying yeah, we’re officially a global streaming product now," another replied.

One comment also asked about the longevity of these deals by commenting, "A one off game deal?"

While franchises and the league are preparing for the next season, football fans are split over the recent developments.

Can the NFL find success while its fans remain divided? What are your thoughts?

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi