Everything you need to know ahead of NFL Melbourne

The NFL is coming to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the first time in a regular-season game, with the Los Angeles Rams facing the San Francisco 49ers on Friday.

The Rams, designated as the home team, will meet the 49ers in the season opener. Kick-off is set for 10:35 a.m. Australian Eastern time in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory. It will start at 10:05 a.m. in South Australia and the Northern Territory, and at 8:35 a.m. in Western Australia.

The timing also suits the United States television audience, with an 8:35 p.m. start in New York and 5:35 p.m. in Los Angeles. Gates at the MCG precinct, branded by the NFL as the NFL Stadium Campus, will open at 7 a.m. Fans will find food, entertainment, sponsor activities and other events before the game.

The Rams are regarded as one of the favourites for this season's Super Bowl. The franchise was founded as the Cleveland Rams in 1936, moved to Los Angeles in 1946, relocated to St. Louis in 1995 and returned to Los Angeles in 2015. The team has won two Super Bowls, most recently in 2021, and plays at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The 49ers, formed in 1944, have remained based in the Bay Area and now play at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. They have won five Super Bowls, although their most recent victory came in 1994. The game will be shown in Australia on Fox Sports and Kayo, as well as free-to-air on Channel Seven and 7Plus. Tickets, including standing and seated options, remained available as of Monday.