ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has returned from the USA brimming with confidence, vowing to steer the NRL into a new era of global reach with a Las Vegas extension and domestic dominance, headlined by what could easily become the most lucrative broadcast deal in its 117-year history.
As he explained to the Daily Telegraph, central to his ambition is the continuation of the Las Vegas initiative, which launched in 2024 with a five-year plan but now appears likely to run for a decade or more.
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“Vegas has outperformed even our own targets,” V’landys revealed. “It’s not just viable — it’s profitable. I don’t see any reason why we won’t be there for 10 or 20 years.”
“We’ve captured the public’s imagination in a way that’s multiplied across the season,” he added. “It gave us momentum that hasn’t stopped.”
Critics once dismissed the Las Vegas venture as a gimmick, but the data — and V’landys’ conviction — tell a different story. So much so that the NRL has now gained the attention and support of America's own powerhouse, the NFL.
Fresh from meetings with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, V’landys is more bullish than ever about rugby league’s position in Australian sport and its capacity to thrive commercially in the U.S.
“We met with Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL and that was a very positive meeting because we have so much in common,” V’landys said. “Both parties can assist each other — there are areas we can help them with and areas they can help us.”
The NRL boss is also chasing a historic broadcast windfall, with the current rights deal expiring in 2027 and negotiations for the next package already underway — targeting an unprecedented $3 billion-plus deal.
V’landys is preparing to re-engage with current partners Channel Nine and Foxtel, while also welcoming global streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon, and DAZN into the conversation.
DAZN’s recent $3.4 billion acquisition of Foxtel has positioned it as a major player in Australian sports broadcasting, and V’landys believes the NRL’s product — fast-paced, high-energy, and increasingly international — is perfectly suited to a multi-platform bidding war.
“This is a sport with global upside,” he said. “The American market is massive. If just five percent of Californians engage with rugby league, the financial return would be extraordinary.”
NRL Las Vegas
He credits Lachlan Murdoch’s backing as a critical piece of the puzzle, not only in broadcast access but in elevating the NRL’s presence on the global sporting stage. “His support is a game-changer — he can get us free-to-air coverage in the U.S.” V'landy's explained.
There’s no doubt that with Murdoch and DAZN in their corner, the NRL is better positioned than ever to capitalise on international audiences — and set new financial benchmarks at home while they’re at it.
This wasn’t lost on V’landys, who took a typically sharp swipe at the AFL during the interview. “We’ve been underestimated for too long,” V’landys said. “They looked down on us like we were the poor cousin — now that cousin’s rich and leading the way.”
He’s long pushed back against the notion that the NRL sits in the shadow of its cross code rival, and the data supports rugby league’s ascendancy — in a big way.
Last year, the NRL pulled in 186.8 million total viewers, comfortably eclipsing the AFL’s 148.8 million, toppling the once most-watched Australian sport and asserting the NRL's broadcast dominance.
V’landys has pointed to innovations like the six-again rule and faster ruck speeds as key drivers of the code’s rise in entertainment value.
Ball-in-play time now averages 60 minutes per match — double that of rugby union and six times that of the NFL — a major selling point for audiences in America after a fast-paced sport that they can consume in half the time.
With a $3 billion-plus media deal on the horizon and the Las Vegas venture now considered long-term, it’s clear V’landys sees rugby league not just as a rising power — but as a sport ready to lead on the world stage in a way no Australian code has before.
To reach the once-unthinkable heights in sport, you need vision to achieve the impossible and bold leadership.
Right now, under Peter V’landys, the NRL looks poised to achieve exactly that.
