Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers face off in Australia: What to know

The Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are playing in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday night, kicking off the record-setting slate of NFL games played abroad this season.

After the international debut on Thursday night, Rio de Janeiro and Paris will both see NFL action for the first time this year, while London, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City will return as hosts this season.

The Rams and 49ers showdown marks the second game of the season after the Seattle Seahawks beat the New England Patriots to start the season on Wednesday.

Why are the Rams, 49ers playing in Australia?

The Rams and 49ers are playing in Melbourne on Thursday night as part of the NFL's efforts to grow the game outside of the United States.

The NFL will play nine games oversees this season, and the final international game will be held in Mexico City on Nov. 22.

What is the time difference in Australia?

Melbourne, located on Australia's southeastern coast in the state of Victoria, is 17 hours ahead of California, home to both the Rams and the 49ers. It is 14 hours ahead of East Coast time.

This means that while U.S. audience members will be watching on Thursday night, the game will actually be played on Friday in Australia.

Kickoff is slated for 8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday night, or 10:35 a.m. AEST in Melbourne.

When did the Rams arrive in Australia?

The Rams drew plenty of curiosity across the football world for their decision to arrive in Melbourne on Thursday morning (local time), after departing the U.S. on Tuesday, leaving little time to adjust to the new time zone.

According to The Athletic, Rams head coach Sean McVay said of the team's travel plans, "It's, 'Hey, this is what the reality is. We've got a long way to go, but let's be ready to rock when that three-hour window that we're allotted comes.'"

When did the 49ers arrive in Australia?

The 49ers arrived in Melbourne last week and gave themselves plenty of time to recover and adjust to the time difference before the game on Thursday night (or Friday morning, depending on your viewing location).

What other NFL games are overseas this season?

The NFL is hosting nine international games this year, spanning much of the globe.

After Thursday night's game, the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will play in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27.

In October, London will host three straight games spanning Week 4 to Week 6. On Oct. 4, the Indianapolis Colts will take on the Washington Commanders at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars will face one another at the same venue on Oct. 11.

The Jaguars are also set to play the Houston Texans in London, facing off at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 18.

Paris will host the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints during Week 7 on Oct. 25.

Madrid will host the Cincinnati Bengals and the Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 8, followed by Munich hosting the New England Patriots and Detroit Lions on Nov. 15.

The international finale will take place in Mexico City on Nov. 22 in a game between the 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings.

When is the Super Bowl?

Super Bowl LXI will be held Sunday, Feb. 14, 2027 -- Valentine's Day -- at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The game will air on ABC and ESPN and will be streamed on the ESPN App and NFL+ on mobile.

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