Rams vs. 49ers live updates: NFL game start time, how to watch, stream

The NFL is back and crossing borders once again.

The San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams kick off their 2026 schedules on Thursday night (8:20 p.m. ET, Netflix), but the divisional foes who will be jockeying for top turf in the NFC West find themselves on Australian soil.

The teams will square off at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, the first NFL game to take place "Down Under."

Aussie fans should be in for a treat. The Rams entered the 2026 season with the shortest odds of any team to win the Super Bowl, and with good reason: Los Angeles added a trio of playmakers this offseason, swinging trades for Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett, while welcoming back future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, though he won't play in Week 1. The new- (and old-) look defense should complement its already high-octane offensive attack, still steered by MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The 49ers have had one of the most bizarre offseasons in recent memory. The Brandon Aiyuk saga, Kyle Shanahan's car crash, the arrest of owner Jed York and the continuing (and unfounded) conspiracy theories surrounding the nearby electrical substation have hung over the team. Still…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/