Fans expected to spend $300 million

While Victoria spent tens of millions bringing the season-opening NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and the LA Rams to Melbourne, new modelling shows that tourism spending across the city is expected to dwarf that investment.

NAB has predicted more than $300 million will be spent in Melbourne businesses on Friday and Saturday. The spending is expected to come from domestic and overseas visitors in the pubs, hotels, shops and restaurants across the CBD, Docklands and MCG.

NAB analysed a nine-day span last November that included events like the Melbourne Cup Carnival, AFLW finals and performances by both Oasis and Metallica, where spending in Melbourne was estimated at about $250 million. During a typical weekend in September, people spend between $60 million and $70 million, according to the City of Melbourne’s Economy Snapshot 2024 data.

The Australian Hotels Association Victoria did the maths and – with 100,000 fans expected to take over the MCG and fan zones across the city – Melbourne businesses are estimated to serve enough beer to create a continuous line of pint glasses spanning almost 230 kilometres, and the burgers consumed are estimated to stack three times higher than Mount Bogong, or about six kilometres.

“They’re gearing up for one of the biggest weekends of their year,” said Nikola Nanayakkara, a small business banker at NAB. “They’re anticipating right from today, Thursday, right across the weekend, it’s going to be nonstop action.”

Melbourne resident Shane Dixon will be one of the fans contributing to that spend.

He has supported the San Francisco 49ers for almost 40 years. Following the NFL has meant fitting them around work, often catching games on his phone between calls on Monday mornings.

Now, the 49ers are coming to his backyard. He said seeing his team play here live will be a “dream come true”.

Dixon paid $350 each for his tickets but has also spent more than $700 on merchandise from the NFL’s recently opened Bourke Street store. He knows fellow fans on Facebook who have spent three times as much.

He has taken the week off work and already attended two meet-ups with fans he found through Facebook.

“I have met more 49ers fans in this week alone than I have in my entirety of following the Niners,” Dixon said. “I’m fully expecting it’s going to be electric.”

Rams supporter Jamison Sepulveda, originally from Sydney, said it would be interesting to witness the 100,000-strong crowd at the MCG. The Rams’ home stadium, SoFi Stadium, holds about 70,000.

“One thing that Melbourne does really well is sport,” Sepulveda said. “I think the atmosphere will be really intense.”

Sepulveda began supporting the Rams in 2018, after her Californian husband introduced her to NFL. He had already encouraged her to play women’s gridiron and showed her American college football.

“If I’m going to do something, I’m going to go all in,” she said.

She has since travelled to the United States three times to watch the Rams play – her fandom doesn’t come cheap.

Sepulveda won two tickets for the upcoming game through the NFL Australia and New Zealand Instagram account. Even with free entry to the game, she estimates she has spent more than $2000 on flights, accommodation and merchandise.

She already has tickets to Melbourne, but late planners have been caught out, with last-minute one-way tickets from Sydney to Melbourne with Jetstar on Thursday costing about $900. Most Qantas flights were costing more than $1000.

For comparison, most Qantas flights next Thursday were $400 or less.

For American fans willing to make the trip, the game offers a chance to see their team in a very different city.

“We’ve already seen the players, the coaching staff, all of the support team, they’re all raving about Melbourne,” Nanayakkara said. “This is going to put us on the map to a whole different audience.”

Sean Gill – who grew up in California and now lives in Arizona – has supported the Rams since childhood. His father introduced him to the team, and Gill has since done the same with his own son.

Gill and his wife, Krystal, expect to spend about $5500 ($US3900) each travelling to Melbourne and staying for the game.

They travelled to London last year to watch the Rams, which made them decide to try and attend any future international games. Gill said the appeal was not just seeing the team live, but experiencing how a foreign city embraces the NFL.

It will be the couple’s first visit to Australia, and they plan to spend a week exploring the city and taking in the events surrounding their home-town team.

“I think Melbourne is going to thrive in this, and I think we’re going to thrive in Melbourne,” Gill said.