NFL Eyes Olympic Boost for Flag Football at MCG
The NFL's Melbourne game doubles as a push for flag football's inclusion at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, NFL executives say.
The NFL's regular-season game at the MCG on Friday carries a second purpose beyond gate receipts and broadcast fees. The league wants Melbourne to double as a showcase for flag football, the non-contact game bidding for a place at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
The IOC is settling the core sports programme for those Games this year, with the process due to finish by late 2026 or early 2027. Only after that can Brisbane organisers put forward extra disciplines. Flag football already has its Olympic bow set for Los Angeles in 2028, and the NFL is pushing to extend that to Brisbane.
Peter O'Reilly, the NFL's executive vice-president for international events, laid out the strategy at the SportNXT conference on Tuesday.
O'Reilly said the Olympic angle was a decisive factor in awarding Melbourne this week's fixture over rival bidders.
Tim Ellis, the NFL's chief marketing officer, said the league was "still working hard" on securing a Brisbane slot for the sport, calling it "very important for us."
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who worked a flag football exhibition backed by Tom Brady in March, spoke on Wednesday about the sport's growth through his own family.
If flag football does make the Brisbane programme, Friday's MCG crowd and the week of promotion around it will be cited by the NFL as part of the case that helped get it there.
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