Melbourne Targets NBA, MLB and NHL Games After NFL Success at MCG
Melbourne is looking to extend the momentum from the Los Angeles Rams-San Francisco 49ers NFL game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with Visit Victoria targeting NBA basketball, Major League Baseball and NHL ice hockey events alongside more NFL fixtures. Chief executive Brendan McClements said the MCG game could definitely provide a catalyst for further American sports events. Victoria is guaranteed at least one more NFL match within the next three years, and officials hope Melbourne’s first regular-season game will underpin a longer-term agreement. The city has previously hosted an NHL exhibition game, while the New Orleans Pelicans became the first NBA team to play in Australia outside the regular season last year. NFL Australia and New Zealand general manager Charlotte Offord said other US leagues could follow the NFL’s lead, while stressing that regular-season games hold greater weight than exhibitions. Boston Globe writer Ben Volin said the Rams’ poor performance could make the league more cautious about expansion in Asia, despite expectations of further games. In Sydney, columnist Peter FitzSimons argued that American football should remain a cultural curiosity rather than become established alongside Australia’s local football codes.
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