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The Las Vegas Thread

G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,977
Wb1234 said:
Imagine one day they liked the rules so much they ran an off season nrl comp with their clubs it would still be massive

Meeting the boss of the nfl and guys like Dana white is good publicity for league anyway

Dana is huge globally
Click to expand...
I love Rugby league but I actually can appreciate NFL and have at stages tried to get into it. Not a big UFC fan but I respect it. Love boxing when it's actual boxers.

I like all the cross promotion we're doing with these sports because all of these have the staunch physicality that we can appreciate and it should be translatable for them and an appreciation for our game.
There's certainly room to grow our fan base through it.

The AFL could do some cross promotion with... umm..
Netball?

Things is: We have a sport that is tough, physical, athletic and not hard to understand.
 
titoelcolombiano

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
7,598
Wb1234 said:
Click to expand...
It's interesting that the NFL see themselves becoming a global sport, not in terms of pro leagues everywhere, or participation all around the world, just in terms of supporters and viewers, they accept what they are and run with it.

Now, I know RL isn't in the same stratosphere, but it's in a similar situation. Not a bad sport to learn from and partner with. If we can get a couple of conferences in Australia that include the NZ and PNG markets and forge some sort of European conference with the strong English clubs and a couple of French clubs, either through NRL ownership or an extremely close alignment with the RFL, we could then push for more and more eyeballs on the product. Seems the be the strategy PVL is pursuing.
 
Last edited:
G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,977
titoelcolombiano said:
It's interesting that the NFL see them becoming a global sport, not in terms of pro leagues everywhere, or participation all around the world, just in terms of supporters and viewers, they accept what they are and run with it.

Now, I know RL isn't in the same stratosphere, but it's in a similar situation. Not a bad sport to learn from and partner with. If we can get a couple of conferences in Australia that include the NZ and PNG markets and forge some sort of European conference with the strong English clubs and a couple of French clubs, either through NRL ownership or an extremely close alignment with the RFL, we could then push for more and more eyeballs on the product. Seems the be the strategy PVL is pursuing.
Click to expand...
I always try to make the point with idiots like Perth Red that these crowd figures or participation figure and comparisons that are made with soccer or AFL are stupid because our sport much like the NFL , Boxing or UFC doesn't live and die by those numbers.
Rugby League is mostly a spectators sport primarily for Television. So long as participation is high enough to get good talent and there's a crowd big enough to set a scene, it's party time.
The NFL are big in Australia ( 6 million viewers was quoted I think) yet almost nobody plays it.
How many UFC fighters exist? How many in the crowd? Yet it's massive.

Rugby League can do very well all over the world because it is a fantastic spectators sport.
 
titoelcolombiano

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
7,598
Gobsmacked said:
I always try to make the point with idiots like Perth Red that these crowd figures or participation figure and comparisons that are made with soccer or AFL are stupid because our sport much like the NFL , Boxing or UFC doesn't live and die by those numbers.
Rugby League is mostly a spectators sport primarily for Television. So long as participation is high enough to get good talent and there's a crowd big enough to set a scene, it's party time.
The NFL are big in Australia ( 6 million viewers was quoted I think) yet almost nobody plays it.
How many UFC fighters exist? How many in the crowd? Yet it's massive.

Rugby League can do very well all over the world because it is a fantastic spectators sport.
Click to expand...
Yep completely agree mate. The NRL brand is what we should be pushing hard, which is why I hope Europe gets on board and we could really start to see some traction. Union has worked hard , but has hit a wall because the product is not entertaining enough, we don't have that problem.

We just need more eyeballs on the game. I'm not as delusional as AFL fans that think all it takes to convert anyone is for them to see one game, but getting the game exposed to more new viewers will definitely capture some and that seems to be what PVL is up to.
 
G

Gobsmacked

Bench
Messages
3,977
titoelcolombiano said:
Yep completely agree mate. The NRL brand is what we should be pushing hard, which is why I hope Europe gets on board and we could really start to see some traction. Union has worked hard , but has hit a wall because the product is not entertaining enough, we don't have that problem.

We just need more eyeballs on the game. I'm not as delusional as AFL fans that think all it takes to convert anyone is for them to see one game, but getting the game exposed to more new viewers will definitely capture some and that seems to be what PVL is up to.
Click to expand...
Yeah exactly. That's why the Vegas venture is a 5 year deal. Someone sitting a bar having a drink half watching it one year, the next year, oh yeah this kinda cool . By the 3rd year they're starting to understand what's going on and actually watch till the end. 4th and 5th year they're starting to actually learn a bit on their own about the clubs involved, comp structure, geography. Maybe then actually trying to follow it through the year.

You need repeated exposure.

We had a big increase on viewership from the first year, importantly PVL is trying to. Make it bigger and better every year, working hard to market it better..!
By year 5 hopefully we're dialled in ! And we go another 5 years.

As PVL says " just one percent " ..
That wasn't expected to happen overnight!
Consistency!
It's not in our imagination- this is the greatest game on earth!
 
N

NWQRabbit

Juniors
Messages
33
Gobsmacked said:
You need repeated exposure.

We had a big increase on viewership from the first year, importantly PVL is trying to. Make it bigger and better every year, working hard to market it better..!
By year 5 hopefully we're dialled in ! And we go another 5 years.

As PVL says " just one percent " ..
That wasn't expected to happen overnight!
Consistency!
It's not in our imagination- this is the greatest game on earth!
Click to expand...
Thinking about this with regard to the broadcast in america going forward, now that Newscorpse no longer owns foxtel (they do have 6% of DAZN tho) will V'landys be able to keep the game on the fox network in the US?

I know it was lachlan murdoch that helped a lot in facilitating the coverage, hopefully his influence is all that is needed for it to continue.
 
W

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
42,205
Gobsmacked said:
20 years in Vegas: NRL’s shock plan following NFL, US TV talks https://share.google/nvWNvCNKRgxU6FXY7

Anyone have the article?
Click to expand...

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.






Stay
Tyrann Mathieu retires from NFL 'The Insiders'


“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.”


Feed em Pete
 
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S

shadowformz

Juniors
Messages
316
Daily Telegraph



















































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Sport
NRL
EXCLUSIVE
Peter V’landys on NRL record television broadcast agreement and extending Las Vegas deal
The NRL will look to expand its international footprint in its bid to topple the AFL with a record TV rights deal. It comes as ARL boss Peter V’landys takes another savage swipe at the rival code.ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has returned from his American trip supercharged about securing the richest broadcast deal in NRL history and powering rugby league to the apex of Australian sport.

In a wide-ranging interview with this masthead, V’landys has revealed the NRL’s plan to extend its premiership kick-off in Las Vegas beyond the current five-year deal.

V’landys also took a swipe at the AFL, saying he likes “nothing” about the sport and boldly declared: “This poor cousin has become wealthy.”
He was equally bullish on the code’s next TV rights deal, saying the influence of News Corp chair Lachlan Murdoch would help the NRL flourish in America and open a fiscal gateway with US-based streaming giants.

The NRL is eyeing a $3 billion-plus bonanza on their next broadcast deal and V’landys’ venture to America was a key plank in delivering rivers of gold for a code that was on the verge of bankruptcy during the Covid crisis.

V’landys will ramp up negotiations with current rights holders Channel 9 and Foxtel, while streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon have emerged as fresh options during broadcast negotiations.

DAZN completed a $3.4 billion purchase of Foxtel in April and V’landys confirmed the world’s leading sports entertainment platform will be a major player in TV rights negotiations.

V’landys’ fact-finding mission not only included talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, but a meeting with Murdoch, a self-confessed Brisbane Broncos tragic who is a key ally for the ARLC boss.
V’landys wants the NRL’s next broadcast deal, slated to begin from 2028, finalised this year and he lauded the support of Murdoch as the ARLC chair looks to leverage the power of the monster American market.

Lachlan is one of the most underestimated guys I have ever met,” V’landys said.

“We met with Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL and that was a very positive meeting because we have so much in common.

“Both parties can assist each other, there are areas we can help them with and there’s areas they can help us with.

“That meeting was really positive, but I also met with Lachlan Murdoch.

“He has gone to another level in my view in management worldwide.

“But you would never know it speaking to him because he’s such a nice person.

“Sometimes it’s surreal when you meet people like him.

“Overall, for me, the little Greek kid from Wollongong, being in those offices, sometimes you pinch yourself and think, ‘Is this real or am I just dreaming this?’”

V’landys says Murdoch is a key figure in the NRL monetising the American market. The NRL has come under fire for its Las Vegas experiment, labelled by critics as nothing more than a gimmick after striking a five-year partnership with the Nevada government.
But V’landys says the NRL will not walk away from Vegas and is confident rugby league will still be thriving in Sin City for a decade or more.

“This is where Lachlan Murdoch is a massive help,” V’landys said.

“He can give us free-to-air (coverage) on Fox (in America).
It’s going to be small steps, but there’s a massive gain if we can make it in America.

“You have got 330 million people in America. We’ve got 26 million people in Australia. There’s 40 million people alone in California, so we only need five per cent of the population to get engaged in rugby league and it will generate substantial revenues.
It’s not going to happen overnight, that’s why it was always a five-year plan.”

Asked if the Vegas venture will go beyond five years, V’landys said: “Absolutely, that has even exceeded my expectations.

“Everyone loves Vegas. It’s just charismatic. We get Australia’s attention on these games.

“The first round was record viewership for the whole year. What that has done has given us momentum for the rest of the season. It was like a multiplier effect, once we got out of the gates there was no stopping us.
“I can’t see it not proceeding to being 10 years or 20 years because we are actually going to make a profit out of the venture.”

The NRL’s current TV rights deal, which expires in 2027, is worth around $2 billion. But V’landys has gone to the negotiating table armed with data that shows the NRL has dethroned fierce rivals the AFL as the most-watched code in Australia.

The NRL boasted 186.8 million viewers compared to the AFL’s 148.8m last year — prompting V’landys to take a swipe at a rival sport he believes is over-hyped.

Asked what he likes about the AFL, he said: “Nothing, zero.

“The one thing I don’t love about them is they always look down their noses at us in rugby league.
They always think that we are the poor cousin. All of a sudden this poor cousin has become wealthy and we have overtaken them in audience.

“They always just discarded us as being an inferior product, all of a sudden we are not.

“We have put a lot of work into making our game more entertaining. We have more ball in play than we have ever had. We are always underestimated.

“All of a sudden when you overtake them, they think maybe we should have paid more attention.”
The AFL’s TV rights deal is worth north of $4 billion, but V’landys says the ARL Commission is poised to deliver the most lucrative broadcast deal in rugby league’s 117-year history.

The NRL has been praised for its high-octane entertainment this season and V’landys said he was determined to kill off the wrestle to enhance the product for fans.

“We have worked very hard to get the product to where it is,” he said.

“We have made the game more entertaining for the fan.

“The problem with rugby league at the time (when he started) was we lived in our own little cocoon.

“We listened to our players, we listened to our coaches but we never listened to the main person, which is the fan. I wanted to listen to the fan and that’s exactly what we did, now we are reaping the benefits.

“The six-again (rule) has assisted the game because you need fatigue in the game and if you have fatigue you get the brilliant players coming to the fore.

“That is what is happening. The games are closer. Everyone has got used to the new rules now, it was going to take a bit of time for them to settle in, but the games are more exciting.

“Our ball in play is 60 minutes, rugby union is 30 minutes, NFL is 10 minutes.

As a sport there is more entertainment in rugby league than in most sports.

“The one problem with rugby league when I came into it in my view was the wrestle. No fan liked the wrestle and we have nearly eradicated the wrestle because our ruck speed now is great.
We measure that every week, that’s the KPI we look at in ensuring we get the entertainment for our fans.”
 
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