The popularity of the NFL in Australia is perhaps stronger than most people realize. The league counts some 1.5 million fans in the nation. The 2022 Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals attracted an average viewership of 583,000, up 33% from the year prior and the second biggest audience that Australia has ever had for the biggest game in football.
We have now begun our journey to this year’s Super Bowland DraftKings are providing some of the best odds and markets among all other sportsbooks. Super Bowl odds currently have the San Francisco 49ers as favorites this year, closely followed by the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, last year’s winners and runners up respectively.
The Truth
Part of the reason many Australians’ watch the NFL is likely down to its crossover with other Aussie sports. Rugby and Aussie rules football are two of the most popular sports down under and they have many similarities with gridiron football. Both are full contact and hard-hitting and known for their incredible feats of strength and athleticism. Of course, they are all played with egg-shaped balls just like the NFL as well.
In fact, the crossover between the NFL and AFL (the premier Aussie Rules league), has become deep enough that we are now seeing players make the transition. In 2023, Lou Hedley and Patrick Murtagh were recruited by the New Orleans Saints and Detroit Lions respectively as a punter and a tight end.
They are not the first however and since 1995 we have seen several Aussie players come to the league as punters. This is down to the strong kicking power of many players which is needed to play in the AFL. There have been no fewer than 23 punters in the NFL who have come from Aussie rules football since then, which has aided the growth of the sport tremendously in Australia.
As we see more of these players come over, especially through the NFL’s international pathway program (IPP), we are likely to see more yes drawn to the league from that corner of the globe. We are now seeing the NFL make more of an effort into expanding into the nation as well after they setup an office in 2022.
In April last year, they hired Charlotte Offord to lead the expansion of the sport in Australia. She was the league’s first full time employee in Australia, reporting to Damani Leech, Chief Operating Officer, International.
Exposure is crucial
Australian’s need more exposure as it is a relatively untapped market. Having started to conquer Europe, Australia and New Zealand seem to be the next destination for the NFL and with the lack of presence in the nation from the rest of the big four sports in the US, they have a unique opportunity to get a foot in the door.
Expanding the game outside of the US allows for a more secure future not just off the field in terms of viewer and spectatorship but also on the field. We have already discussed the number of players we have seen recruited from the AFL, but Rugby has also seen some recruits along with the recent arrival of tight end Murtagh at the Lions. By having the pick of the talent from all corners of the globe, the product can only improve and make the sport stronger.
The impression that the NFL has on Australia is a good one, though it is still in its infancy. The similarities between their biggest sports are great and allow for an excellent path to developing an interest in American football. We are likely to see even more growth in the near future with the office only just being setup in Australia and there is certainly plenty more to come from the NFL down under.
