Netflix draws 18.5M in US for first NFL game in Australia
Netflix averaged 18.5 million viewers in the United States for the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia.
The Week 1 clash between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne delivered that average audience, meaning the average number watching in any given minute, according to Nielsen figures reported by Deadline. That equals the US audience for last year's Brazil game streamed by YouTube.
Globally, the game drew 21.7 million viewers across Netflix in more than 200 countries and territories, according to figures from the NFL. The audience outside the US was 3.2 million, compared with 1.2 million overseas viewers for the YouTube Brazil game. Growth came from abroad.
The US audience peaked at 21.3 million between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. ET, according to Nielsen data reported by Barrett Media. Viewers aged 18 to 34 averaged 4 million, the highest for a streamed NFL game outside Christmas. Young viewers turned up.
The Melbourne fixture was organised as a Week 1 meeting in the 2026 season and was the first-ever NFL regular-season game played in Australia, according to MediaPlayNews. The Jonas Brothers headlined the half-time programme. The game, including the performance, aired live on Netflix and on Seven in Australia, according to the NFL.
The wider Week 1 audience started soft. The opening-night game on NBC and Peacock averaged 25.1 million viewers, down 11% on last year. Netflix began carrying a Christmas Day NFL doubleheader in 2024, while Amazon took exclusive carriage of Thursday night games in 2022.
What makes this stand out is the age split and the overseas lift. The league keeps a crew of hundreds on these international games, from production to stadium staff. For fans outside the US, this one was easier to find and watch live.
