49ers Top NFL Team in Australia Ahead of Melbourne Opener — SkimNews
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- The San Francisco 49ers open the NFL season Thursday against the Los Angeles Rams at Melbourne Cricket Ground, an ~8,000-mile, 16-hour flight from San Francisco.
- The 49ers are the most popular NFL team in Australia per league GM Charlotte Offord — a fandom traced to the Joe Montana and Jerry Rice dynasty of the 1980s and '90s.
- Demand for tickets at the 100,000-seat MCG saw 175,000 people sign up for an interest registry, with tickets selling out in roughly two hours; 48% of buyers came from outside Victoria and 10-12% from the United States.
- United Airlines reported SFO-to-Melbourne bookings up 65% year-over-year for the week, while Christian McCaffrey's No. 23 49ers jersey led all player jersey sales in Australia last year.
- Australian fans Huw Davies (supporting since 1989) and Harry Murtough (since ~2011) secured tickets after the Rams matchup was announced — Davies is bringing his 7-year-old son Flynn, and Murtough bought a seat for his 75-year-old father Richard, 'not a 49ers fan, but he will be.'
- 49ers CEO Al Guido said the team won't rush to add Australia to its UK, UAE, and Mexico international marketing markets despite being 'thrilled' with Melbourne's reception, citing a need for real 'boots on the ground.'
Why it matters: Melbourne's 175,000 interest sign-ups for 100,000 MCG seats put real pressure on 49ers CEO Al Guido, who said expanding to Australia beyond the UK, UAE, and Mexico requires 'boots on the ground' — not 'land grabbing.' Whether that bar has now been met turns on commercial follow-through, not crowd optics.
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