The NFL announced that the San Francisco 49ers will travel to Melbourne for a regular season game against the Los Angeles Rams and that the Jonas Brothers will headline the halftime show, the league said.
The announcement described the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the venue and said the performance will be streamed live on Netflix for international viewers, as part of a record seven halftime shows presented by American Express across the 2026 NFL International Games.
The NFL framed the match as a landmark moment for its expansion overseas. Tim Tubito, the league's senior director of global game presentation and entertainment, said the Jonas Brothers connect across generations and are well suited to celebrate the occasion, according to the league announcement.
The band issued its own statement saying they were honored to perform at halftime during the NFL’s first regular season game in Australia and that they looked forward to celebrating with stadium fans and those watching worldwide, the NFL reported.
The league noted the Melbourne halftime performance is the first in a seven-show international slate across seven countries and four continents. Victorian Minister for Major Events Anthony Carbines told reporters that Melbourne will showcase the state to tens of millions of viewers and that epic events support thousands of jobs.
The league highlighted the Jonas Brothers’ commercial track record in the announcement, noting sales north of 20 million albums, multiple Billboard Hot 100 hits, consecutive No. 1 Billboard 200 debuts and billions of streams, and it noted the group recently received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star.
49ers Preseason Notes And Roster Decisions
Behind the international spotlight, 49ers reporting focused on internal competition and roster choices during the preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans, writing that the game will reveal snaps for nonstarters and roster contenders.
Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris introduced the "fever backer" concept in training camp and has leaned on versatile players to fill the role, the team coverage said. Nick Martin and rookie Jaden Dugger have trained at the position. Morris said the fever backer can play nickel, outside edge or serve at the line of scrimmage, creating pre-snap uncertainty for offenses.
Coaches have also rotated promising young players into conversations. Reporters wrote that Romello Height, a rookie speed rusher, has been included in fever backer discussions. The preseason will help determine whether the role is staple or situational in Morris’s scheme, the coverage added.
On offense, Brock Purdy received praise after carving up the Titans, according to team writers, though the coverage warned that offensive line concerns are growing. Purdy compared coaching perspectives on his passing style, saying the quarterbacks coach dislikes the word "layer" while acknowledging Raheem Morris notices his touch.
Roster moves noted by the team included adding running back Zamir White and waiving three players ahead of the preseason opener. Reporters also covered Kaelon Black describing what he learned from Christian McCaffrey and observed Deebo Samuel lining up as a running back and affecting the game’s dynamics. The coverage listed likely inside linebacker locks and bubble players as the team weighs roster slots.
