The Las Vegas Thread

[Canard]

There were reports last year that a pro league would kick off in April 2025 but that now looks dead.

Remember Karl Stefanovic had invested and it was going to have 10 teams.

Whatever happened to that?

The "combine" idea doesn't seem to be getting much traction this year either.

 

[RedVee]

We never heard anything about those combine players after they were selected. A couple of follow-up articles would have been interesting

 

[taste2taste]

For sure, it'd take a sht load of money and a very long term commitment. At best you might get it to 1/4 the size of MLS. Best stick with the annual junket and puff balling how amazing we are for going to Vegas. It seems to be working for the deluded masses.

Any league fan would love a pro USA league, I’m still hopeful something will come from the Steve Scanlon comp that was in the works.

But if cricket and union can’t make inroads in the USA, league doesn’t stand much chance.

on a positive, last years twenty 20 cricket WC hosted by the USA couldn’t get their games shown on USA tv, it’s a huge coupe that the NRL has got a game on FTA tv.

 

[taste2taste]

We never heard anything about those combine players after they were selected. A couple of follow-up articles would have been interesting

Michael Woolridge signed with the Roosters, the deal was for pre season and salary exempt.

The stand out of the combine was Kris Leach, he was in talks with several clubs but chose to pursue his NFL dream.

Not sure what happened to the woman’s players.

If the AFL can unearth a star in Mason Cox from their combines I’m sure over the next few years the NRL could find a few players.

Defensive ends, Tight ends and Line backers would make great middle forwards.

 

[Wb1234]

Nrl doesn’t have the money to pay for a semi pro league

If the Wolfpack were still being backed by David argyle there’s a good chance ottowa and maybe even nyc would’ve come through

Wolfpack we’re getting crowds of up to 10k and it was mainly youth:younger generation and women

Their game day experience was revolutionary

Nrl should go focusing on nz png and the pacific islands and being the dominant sport there

If Vegas makes profits and still occurring every year that will grow league long term in America

Union has wasted so much money on mlr that’s the example we want to avoid

Even mls has had limited cut through and soccer is the world biggest football code

 

[Dark Corner]

Much rather see the NRL put money into teams in Wales, London, Newcastle, Sheffield, York and Toulouse.
Teams already in all of those places, a couple of mill each would see them all in Super League pretty quickly and give that comp the geographical spread it so desperately needs.

have you seen what Hull KR have been doing in the Netherlands.

 

[yakstorm]

On the TV ratings side of things, the 500K target isn't completely unrealistic for the Warriors v Raiders game. This game will be shown across the FOX Network, which has an average TV audience size of 1,069,000 (according to US TVDB), so is significantly larger base audience than FS1's average TV of 155,000.

The Saturday time slot of 4pm PST / 7pm EST, generally is one of the better time slots on the network, though it's fair to say viewers show minimal loyalty to networks in the US (last week FOX attracted an audience of 34m on Saturday around that time slot, whilst the weeks before it was 908,000 and 580,000 respectively).

Unlike FS1, it's far more accessible (pretty much everyone in the US has access to it) and more people watch it regularly. Ultimately it will come down to what is the lead in program and what the NRL + Fox are doing to help try and get general sports fans to tune in.

I personally wouldn't have confidence betting on it getting the 500K not knowing what plan they have to try and attract an audience.

 

[RedVee]

have you seen what Hull KR have been doing in the Netherlands.

??? Dope & prostitutes ???

 

[taste2taste]

On the TV ratings side of things, the 500K target isn't completely unrealistic for the Warriors v Raiders game. This game will be shown across the FOX Network, which has an average TV audience size of 1,069,000 (according to US TVDB), so is significantly larger base audience than FS1's average TV of 155,000.

The Saturday time slot of 4pm PST / 7pm EST, generally is one of the better time slots on the network, though it's fair to say viewers show minimal loyalty to networks in the US (last week FOX attracted an audience of 34m on Saturday around that time slot, whilst the weeks before it was 908,000 and 580,000 respectively).

Unlike FS1, it's far more accessible (pretty much everyone in the US has access to it) and more people watch it regularly. Ultimately it will come down to what is the lead in program and what the NRL + Fox are doing to help try and get general sports fans to tune in.

I personally wouldn't have confidence betting on it getting the 500K not knowing what plan they have to try and attract an audience.

Do you have any idea\therioes why Fox Sports has put the NRL on their FTA channel ?

Is it Lachlan doing a ‘favour’ to the NRL ?

If you consider the Cricket Twenty/20 World Cup, All Blacks and Barcelona V Real Madrid all played in the USA couldn’t find a Broadcaster, how has a very small sport from Australia got a game on FTA in the USA ?

 

[Perth Red]

Do you have any idea\therioes why Fox Sports has put the NRL on their FTA channel ?

Is it Lachlan doing a ‘favour’ to the NRL ?

If you consider the Cricket Twenty/20 World Cup, All Blacks and Barcelona V Real Madrid all played in the USA couldn’t find a Broadcaster, how has a very small sport from Australia got a game on FTA in the USA ?

Party favours after Vlandys gave them such a sweet deal.

 

[RedVee]

Do you have any idea\therioes why Fox Sports has put the NRL on their FTA channel ?

Is it Lachlan doing a ‘favour’ to the NRL ?

If you consider the Cricket Twenty/20 World Cup, All Blacks and Barcelona V Real Madrid all played in the USA couldn’t find a Broadcaster, how has a very small sport from Australia got a game on FTA in the USA ?

Lachlan Murdoch

 

[kurt faulk]

.

It's good to have friends in the right places.

Let's see what happens.
.

 

[yakstorm]

I imagine it's being driven by Lachlan, although considering the assets News / Fox have sold off over the past few years, it would have taken some effort to make it happen.

I mean we know that here in Australia, News has sold its share in Fox Sports, Foxtel & Kayo, and whilst that transaction hasn't yet been finalised & News will take a small share in DAZN when everything is finished, its a pretty clear sign that sports rights in this market are no longer a priority.

Over in the US, News doesn't own everything FOX anymore. 20th Century Fox was sold to Disney, as well as the Fox Sports Regional Channels (the later being on sold to Sinclair Broadcasting Group), the Fox TV channels have a range of owners, Fox Broadcasting, which the Murdoch's still own, only own & operate 18 of the 227 FOX channels. Sinclair, Cox, Nexstar are some of the bigger owners and they are more than happy not to take what Fox Broadcasting gives them if they feel like it won't rate or generate advertising revenue (all 227 stations have their own unique scheduling, very little is syndicated nationally at the same time)

All in all, to get this to happen would have been a big lift. It's why I hope they don't just expect people to turn it on without at least doing some promotion because I don't think this would happen again if the rates are meh.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

??? Dope & prostitutes ???

Windmills of your mind.