The NFL has announced a change to its Week 1 schedule, with the Seattle Seahawks set to kick off the season on a Wednesday.
This deviates from the tradition of the Super Bowl champions hosting the Thursday night opener.
The change is due to a game in Melbourne, Australia, between the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, which will be broadcast on Thursday night in the United States.
Seahawks’ Primetime Slot
The Seahawks will play on NBC at 8:20 p.m. ET. The league has not announced their Week 1 opponent.
Aussie Rules Football
The Rams and 49ers will play on Friday morning at 10:35 a.m. local time in Australia. That equates to 8:35 p.m. ET.
The league has not announced a broadcast partner for the game.
The game in Melbourne will be the first regular-season NFL game played in Australia. The Rams were announced as the host team in February 2024, and the 49ers were announced as their opponent last month. The teams will play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Wednesday Night Football History
The last time the NFL opened a season on a Wednesday night was in 2012. It was a game between the Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys.
That game was moved to avoid conflict with then-President Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.
International Games and Broadcasting Restrictions
The past two seasons, the NFL has played an international game on the Friday after the season opener. In 2024, the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers played in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2025, the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs opened their season on Friday in São Paulo.
That is not an option this year because of a provision in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961. The Act does not allow broadcasts of professional football games on any Friday or Saturday from the second Friday in September through the second Saturday in December.
The last two seasons, the day after the season opener fell on the first Friday of September.
Increased International Presence
The game is one of an NFL-record nine international games scheduled for the 2026 season.
The 49ers will also be the home team for a game at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City this coming season.