Rams aren't just trying to win over L.A. They strive to be 'the world's team'
Rams linebackers Bryon Young (0) and Jared Verse (8) stand with teammates during the playing of the national anthem before a win over the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 28. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams returned to Southern California nearly a decade ago intent on capturing the heart of NFL fans in Los Angeles.
Now, with two Super Bowl appearances, one championship and a still glistening-like SoFi Stadium, they have their eyes set on a larger territory: the world.
Advertisement
The Rams' trip to Maui last week for a minicamp was their latest foray into building a global brand.
'In the journey to growing your brand globally, there's never an 'Aha, this is a perfect moment,'' Rams president Kevin Demoff said as he stood on the field at War Memorial Stadium after a workout attended by several thousand fans. 'But I think this is a great step.'
The Rams' reach is expanding well beyond the United States.
Read more: Puka Nacua's rapid ascent an inspiration to Polynesian athletes and Hawaiian fans
As part of the NFL's Global Markets Program, the Rams in the last decade were granted rights in Mexico, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
Advertisement
In February, the NFL announced that the Rams in 2026 would be the home team for the first NFL regular-season game in Australia. The game against a still-to-be determined opponent will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
On Thursday, Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner, offensive lineman Steve Avila and tight end Davis Allen left Hawaii to travel to Melbourne for a family-friendly fan combine that was expected to draw thousands at Margaret Court Arena.
'While many many people travel to L.A. and we have many of our international fans come to a game at SoFi every year, putting it in somebody's backyard makes it that much more accessible,' said Stephanie Cheng, the Rams' head of international and special projects.
The Rams have sent ambassadors abroad before. Former running backs Steven Jackson and Todd Gurley made trips, and former safety Nick Scott accompanied the Super Bowl LVI trophy on a tour of Australia and Mexico.
Advertisement
Last March, safety Quentin Lake visited Japan. Though he was not there in an official capacity with the Rams, the fourth-year pro attended fashion week, an Ohtani-crazed Dodgers game against the Cubs and participated in other cultural activities.
Lake's father, Carnell, a former NFL safety, played a 1996 exhibition game for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Chargers at the Tokyo Dome.
During Lake's own trip, he worked out with Tokyo University defensive backs.
'You would think in Japan, they don't know football over there,' Lake said. 'But they were doing drills and I was genuinely impressed. They're playing football there in pads and helmets and I was like, this is insane. ... That really gave me an appreciation that football is expanding.'
Rams safety Quentin Lake recently got a taste of how popular football is in Japan.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Jamison Collier, who describes herself as 'just a super fan,' serves on the Rams' fan council in Australia.
Advertisement
Collier's husband, Zachariah Sepulveda, grew up in Orange County, 'so his whole family supports the Rams,' she said.
The couple played together on a mixed rugby team. But one day, after seeing a team playing American football, Sepulveda decided he wanted to play. After one season, he encouraged his wife to try a training session.
'I was hooked,' she said.
Philadelphia Eagles tackle Jordan Mailata, an Australian who grew up playing rugby, made it to the NFL through the league's International Player Pathway Program. Now, he is a Super Bowl champion.
Read more: Rams primed to be Super Bowl contenders, but two critical areas of concern remain
Advertisement
The Rams' scheduled game in Australia has created new fans, Collier said.
'Having Jordan Mailata play for the Philadelphia Eagles was a great way for the league to get exposure in Australia,' Collier said. 'But the Rams have really capitalized on that by being, 'Oh, well, look at that, we're going to come play.'
'So people that were kind of just getting their foot in the door of watching the game have gone, 'OK, well I don't have a team. The Rams are coming. They're my team,' which is how a lot of people tend to get into a team. Over here, it's one that's close to your home, or the first game you go to.'
The Rams are not the only team expanding their brand in Australia. The Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks and the Las Vegas Raiders also have marketing rights.
Advertisement
Read more: Rams' new headquarters to be centerpiece of ambitious Warner Center development project
Charlotte Offord, general manager of NFL Australia and New Zealand, said the NFL fan base has grown from 5.7 million to 7.5 million in nearly three years.
The Rams were the first team to open the market, and have grown it through player appearances, social media channels, books, watch parties, flag football and cheerleading clinics.
'Australian fans love sports so much, but they want the authentic product,' Offord said. 'And so it's not about an Australian talking about the Rams to another Australian. They want an American voice. They want the authentic players, the real players... which really brings to life the Rams brand.'
Advertisement
By setting up a Super Bowl watch party in Australia a few years ago, and then winning the game, the Rams 'couldn't have asked for a better entry into the market,' said Lucas Barclay, vice president and general manager of the 160over90 agency that helps market the Rams.
And Los Angeles as the 'gateway' to the United States for Australians taking direct flights also gives the Rams an advantage, he said.
'The majority of people fly through L.A.,' he said, 'and therefore L.A.'s become known as that team, that if you're going to an NFL game or want to start to discover or uncover the NFL, then the Rams themselves are the team to do it.'
As the Rams prepare for their 10th season in L.A. since returning, they are anticipating another potential Super Bowl run.
Advertisement
Demoff noted that the fans who wore Rams T-shirts and jerseys as 5-year-olds in 2016 are now teenagers. In 10 years, those fans could be season-ticket holders to see the Rams play at a stadium that will also host the World Cup next year and the 2028 Olympics.
Read more: Rams' chances of trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsey appear to be fading
'I don't think you look at the first decade and say, 'Check, we did that,'' Demoff said. 'We've had amazing growth, and when I look at all our metrics in terms of fandom and growth, I would say they're certainly where we had hoped they would be.
'But I still think we can push for more.'
Advertisement
Locally and globally.
The goal is to be 'the world's team,' Demoff said.
'To be truly part of Los Angeles, you have to be part of the globe,' he said. 'And as we've looked at our international efforts, we're excited about the foothold and what we're trying to gain, but there's a lot more work to do.'
Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
44 minutes ago
- USA Today
5 San Francisco 49ers who could win NFL MVP award in 2025
The San Francisco 49ers haven't had an NFL MVP award winner since 1994 when quarterback Steve Young took home the trophy for a second time in three seasons. They got close in 2023 when running back Christian McCaffrey and quarterback Brock Purdy finished No. 3 and No. 4 in the voting, respectively. We were sifting through their chances to snag an MVP winner for the first time in more than 30 years and came up with five players who could bring the award back to the Bay Area: 5. LB Fred Warner It's admittedly hard to fathom a linebacker winning an MVP award. We picked Warner out of respect for his all-around skill set and the fact he was a First-Team All-Pro last year despite playing from Week 4 on with a fractured ankle. If the 49ers have the No. 1 defense and Warner leads the way with a few interceptions, a handful of sacks, and some dominant prime time performances, perhaps an off-ball LB works his way into the MVP conversation. 4. QB Mac Jones Look, at least we're making Jones the No. 4 candidate and not No. 1 like some people did after Sam Darnold signed with the 49ers ahead of the 2023 season. That was actually a thing. While Jones hasn't been particularly good since his rookie season, he's still a quarterback which gives him a major boost in the MVP discussion. If Purdy gets hurt early in the year and Jones steps into head coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, thrives and leads San Francisco to a division title, he would at the very least be in the discussion for the award. 3. DE Nick Bosa Playing a high-profile position where sacks offer a flashy, catch-all stat for voters to cite helps Bosa's case quite a bit over other defensive players. The 49ers would love to get a year from their former Defensive Player of the Year where he leaps into the MVP conversation. If he does, it means he's in the 20-plus sack realm and spearheading a defense that is one of the NFL's most dominant units. 2. RB Christian McCaffrey We don't need to reach very far to make McCaffrey an MVP candidate considering he finished third in MVP voting just two years ago. Despite his recent injury problems, McCaffrey is still the most unique playmaker on the 49ers. Quarterback Brock Purdy may have to rely on McCaffrey a lot as a receiver, putting another season with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards on the table. If he hits those benchmarks on a high-octane 49ers offense, he'll be back in the MVP mix. 1. QB Brock Purdy The 49ers paid Purdy like a player who can win an MVP, and he played like that in 2023. Last season he took a step back, but if he and the 49ers improve this year, and the 49ers offense gets back to scoring 30 points on almost everyone, he'll be prominent in the MVP discourse.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Payten threatens axe on 'bullied' Cowboys
Todd Payten has warned he could swing the axe after admitting North Queensland were bullied by the Sydney Roosters as they fell to a second straight thrashing. Payten described the Cowboys' 42-8 loss as looking like boys against men at times, as his team conceding four tries in the space of 10 minutes in the second half. Halfback Tom Dearden also conceded he was "horrible", backing up four days after winning his first State of Origin game wearing the Queensland No.7 jersey. Semi-finalists last year, the Cowboys are now in an almighty rut. Payten's men have won just one match since Magic Round, dropping five and drawing one to Penrith. They have let in an average of 36 points a game through that period, including 100 points alone in the past fortnight to the Dolphins and Cowboys. Collins crashes over 👊 #NRLRoostersCowboys — NRL (@NRL) June 22, 2025 Questions also remain around the halves pairing of Dearden and Jaxon Purdue, with the latter moved from centre to five-eighth a month ago. But their biggest issue has been a woeful completion rate through that period, with Payten labelling them the NRL's worst team for errors out of their own end. Adding to that is the fact the Cowboys have completed at above 75 per cent just twice in their past seven games. Asked after the loss to the Roosters whether changes were possible, Payten indicated it was on his mind. "We'll be considering it, definitely, off the back of the past few weeks," he said. "We'll have a look at what is underneath and then reassess and get to work." Payten also refused to use the Origin period as an excuse, with the Cowboys having four players coming in and out of camp in the past month. "It's not an excuse, far from it," Payten said. "Not a contributing factor one little bit. "You look at some other teams across the competition (who) have handled it perfectly and we have done so in the past. So it's irrelevant. "It's disappointing, and far from good enough. "We got bullied, it was men against boys there for a little bit and that's concerning." Payten's threat came as Dearden also made a scathing assessment of his own performance, which included conceding an intercept pass for a Mark Nawaqanitawase try. The Cowboys had balls hitting the ground in attack, while Dearden was responsible for five missed tackles. "The body felt good, I was ready to go," Dearden said of backing up from Origin. "I'm really disappointed in my performance. I thought I was horrible tonight."
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Commanders Owner Pays Steep Investment in Jayden Daniels
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Since putting together an impressive rookie campaign with the Washington Commanders, Jayden Daniels has become a hot commodity in the NFL. Ahead of his sophomore season, one key member of the organization showed just how much faith he has in the young quarterback. The Commanders drafted Daniels second overall in 2024, and it was a decision that quickly altered the trajectory of the franchise. He quickly took the league by storm, leading Washington all the way to the conference championship as a rookie. Since his impressive debut, the hype for Daniels has gone through the roof. Despite the small sample size, many are already crowning one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Now on a path towards stardom, Commanders owner Josh Harris paid a massive investment in Daniels. Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025. Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders throws a pass against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, read: Cowboys Star Utters Bold Statement on Commanders' Jayden Daniels This weekend, Fanatics is holding its "Fanatic Fest" in New York City. There are countless notable names in attendance, including Harris and Daniels. In the midst of the festivities, Harris managed to send the crowd into a frenzy with a sizable purchase. He stepped up and bought a rare one-of-one card of Daniels for half a million dollars. Per Fanatics, it is the largest sale of any card of his to date. Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris bought the Jayden Daniels Prizm Black Finite 1/1 for $500,000. This makes it the most expensive Jayden Daniels card sale ever. 🤯 Rothcards, the previous owner of the card, agreed to the deal during Trade Night at Fanatics Fest, also… — Fanatics Collect (@FanaticsCollect) June 22, 2025 Harris was the leader of the investment group that purchased the Commanders from Dan Snyder back in 2023 for over six billion dollars. This added to his portfolio in the sports world, as he also holds ownership stakes in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and New Jersey Devils (NHL). Seeing that the Commanders were just one win away from being in the Super Bowl last year, purchasing the franchise has served to be a good investment. Also read: NFL Analyst Gushes Over Commanders' Offseason Moves Daniels already had lofty expectations to meet heading into this season, and the stakes have only gotten higher. After paying a massive amount for the card, Harris will want to see the value increase due to continued strong play. Looking ahead to the 2025 campaign, Daniels is a player many will have their eyes on. He showed the potential to be a future superstar in the league and now is tasked with avoiding a sophomore slump. The front office did its part in trying to prevent him from taking a step back, adding multiple new weapons around him. Based on his recent actions, Harris has all the confidence in Daniels to keep leading the charge for the franchise. For more Washington Commanders and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
