Two California NFL teams will duel in their first game of the season tonight.
The Los Angeles Rams will face the San Francisco 49ers across the world and down under in Melbourne, Australia.
But, for most, watching the game won't be as simple as changing the channel. The game will be able to be viewed on specific streaming services nationwide with a subscription. Free broadcasts will be available only in the local television markets of the competing teams.
Find out more on how to watch below.
When is the Rams 49ers game tonight?
Kickoff is at 5:35 p.m. Pacific Time on Thursday Sep. 10.
How to watch the Rams and 49ers play tonight
Most viewers will need either a Netflix or NFL+ subscription to watch the Rams and 49ers game.
Viewers can subscribe to any of Netflix's three viewing plans to watch the game. Netflix's "standard with ads"
plan will run you $8.99/month, their "standard" plan costs $19.99/month and their "premium" plan costs $26.99/month.
Viewers can also watch the game on NFL+ by subscribing to their standard $6.99/month plan or their "premium" $14.99/month plan.
NBC Channel 4 will broadcast the game for free in the Los Angeles area.
NBC Bay Area Channel 11 will broadcast the game for free in the San Francisco/Bay Area.
Where are the Rams and 49ers playing tonight?
The Rams and 49ers will face each other on the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia.
The game will be the first regular-season NFL game ever played in Australia or in the Asia-Pacific region broadly, and the two teams have taken markedly different strategies to playing across the world.
While the 49ers arrived in Melbourne nearly a week early on Friday Sep. 4, giving the team time to acclimate to the time shift and travel fatigue, the Rams arrived just yesterday on Sep. 9.
According to ESPN, the Rams' strategy centers on maintaining the players' West Coast body clocks and aligning them with kickoff time in Melbourne.
But only time will tell which strategy prevails.
Players to watch for both teams
Los Angeles Rams
- Matthew Stafford, QB: The veteran quarterback remains the engine of Sean McVay's offense and will be tasked with handling San Francisco's pass rush.
- Puka Nacua, WR: One of the NFL's most productive receivers, Nacua is Stafford's top target and a threat to turn short catches into big gains.
- Myles Garrett, DE: The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year makes his Rams debut and could have a major impact against 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
- Davante Adams, WR: The veteran receiver remains one of the NFL's most dangerous red-zone threats and gives Matthew Stafford another elite target opposite Puka Nacua.
San Francisco 49ers
- Brock Purdy, QB: The 49ers' offense goes as Purdy goes. How he handles the Rams' revamped defense could determine the outcome.
- Christian McCaffrey, RB: One of the league's most versatile playmakers, McCaffrey is a threat as both a runner and receiver.
- George Kittle, TE: Back healthy and expected to play a major role, Kittle is a key target in the passing game and a difference-maker as a blocker.
- Nick Bosa, DE: The former Defensive Player of the Year returns from injury and will be counted on to pressure Matthew Stafford and disrupt the Rams' passing game.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How to watch Los Angeles Rams vs. San Francisco 49ers tonight
