Seven scores a touchdown with historic NFL deal

Seven has secured the exclusive Australian free-to-air broadcast rights for the 2026 NFL season, including the first-ever regular season NFL game to be played on Australian soil.

The historic fixture, a clash between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday, 11 September, and broadcast live on Seven and 7plus Sport.

Under the deal, Seven and 7plus Sport will carry comprehensive coverage across the full 2026 NFL season, including weekly matches, the playoffs and Super Bowl LXI.

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Coverage to expand across the season

Seven's dedicated weekly NFL program, NFL Tailgate, will expand to twice-weekly episodes for the season, adding a Friday preview show to the existing Monday morning review. The expanded format will cover news, analysis and highlights from across the league.

Game day itself will begin with a special edition of Sunrise broadcast live from Melbourne, ahead of the main game coverage, which goes to air from 9 am AEST.

SCA–Seven's post-merger push

The NFL deal lands as Southern Cross Media Group works to demonstrate the value of its merger with Seven West Media, which was formally completed in January after shareholders voted almost unanimously in favour of the $385 million all-scrip takeover.

The merger has since seen its own leadership churn.

Jeff Howard departed as Managing Director and CEO earlier this year, with Rohan Lund now holding the role. The combined group posted a 17% drop in profit in its first half-year results as a merged entity, even as chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise pointed to record audience shares across television, audio and digital.

The NFL acquisition adds a marquee live-sport property to a group that has flagged digital growth and cross-platform scale, including 7plus, as its long-term priority.

Industry reaction

Lund said the deal reflected the company's strength in sport.

"Seven's dominance in sport is unmatched, and securing the free-to-air exclusive rights to the NFL, headlined by the historic first regular season game at the MCG, is a landmark moment," Lund said.

"Australians possess an unrivalled passion for live sport, and our focus is on bringing the world's biggest sporting spectacles to local audiences completely free. By combining the scale of free-to-air broadcast with the flexibility of 7plus Sport, our multi-platform expertise ensures that every fan, no matter how or where they watch, gets a front-row seat to the action."

NFL General Manager Australia and New Zealand, Charlotte Offord, said the region remained a priority market for the league.

"Growing fandom in Australia and globally is at the core of the NFL's international strategy, and being able to work together with great media partners like the Seven Network to reach the widest audiences is critical to us being able to achieve that," Offord said.

Southern Cross Media Group's Director of Sport, TV, Audio and Streaming, Chris Jones, said the acquisition strengthened an already crowded sport calendar.

"Securing the NFL rights is a huge win for Seven and couldn't come at a better time," Jones said. "With the first-ever regular season NFL game heading to Melbourne, we're seeing the incredible momentum the sport has built across Australia. Fan interest has never been stronger, and audiences are embracing the league in record numbers."

The NFL rights follow a first half-year of merged financial results in which Southern Cross Media Group reported a 17% drop in profit alongside revenue growth for its digital platforms, including 7plus and LiSTNR.