Expert available to speak on NFL match at the MCG

Expert available to speak on NFL match at the MCG

A sold-out game between NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will take place Friday morning at the MCG. An RMIT expert unpacks how the NFL has been successfully marketed in Melbourne and globally.

Con Stavros, Professor of Marketing: 

"The NFL is the gold standard of marketing activation, promotion, design and execution in the world. Local Melbourne fans are witnessing the power and majesty of a league in full action for a genuine (not exhibition) game. 

"This isn't the first time the NFL has played a regular game outside of the US, and not even the first in the Southern Hemisphere (Brazil previously) but it is the longest teams have travelled and the event takes place on Friday morning to allow broadcast back into the US on the Thursday night. 

"The match was an instant sell-out in Melbourne, which is testimony to the fandom down under. The city has embraced the sport strongly and up to half the fans attending the MCG will be from interstate or overseas, which is a great boost for Melbourne at a time already full of sporting action. 

"The two teams have adopted widely different approaches to the journey, with the 49ers arriving well over a week before the game, while the Rams arrive just the day before. While that is an interesting view on the polar opposites of how to prepare for an athletic contest, it has meant the 49ers have had the local market to themselves, which has allowed them to build a strong connection with the Victorian public. 

"The Rams are strong favourites to win the game, but the 49ers will likely win the marketing battle given the time they have spent in Melbourne. The NFL are the ultimate winners - as tends to always be the case." 

Professor Con Stavros is a leading expert in the marketing of sport at RMIT. He is a regular media commentator, has published numerous books and articles on sport and is the editor of the international journal 'Sport, Business & Management'. 

***

General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

10 September 2026

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10 September 2026

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