- NRL double header is in Las Vegas on Sunday
- Will officially launch the 2024 NRL season
- Footy supremo Peter V’landys is tense
Peter V’landys has admitted he had reservations about the NRL’s five-year gamble in Las Vegas – and even called himself an “imbecile” as he boarded a plane to Sin City this week.
The newly re-elected ARL committee chairman left Australia on Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s AEDT season-opening matches at Allegiant Stadium, desperately hoping the bold move will be a resounding success.
“On the plane over here I said to myself, ‘you imbecile, what have you done,’” he said Nine news.
“(But) to be here (now) and be in a position to showcase rugby league is definitely a dream.
“The success for me will be (primarily) 40,000 people in the crowd… but more importantly, we want a large (local) audience watching on TV at home.
Peter V’landys has admitted he had reservations about the NRL’s five-year gamble in Las Vegas – and even called himself an ‘imbecile’ as he boarded a plane to Sin City this week
Player misconduct is a concern for V’Landys, but he hopes “representing both the NRL and Australia” will ensure players from the four NRL clubs sidestep potential off-field scandals (pictured, Broncos pair Adam Reynolds and Pat Carrigan)
‘You will never achieve something like this (of this magnitude) in one year.’
Player misconduct remains one of V’Landys’ main focuses, but he hopes “representing both the NRL and Australia” will ensure players from the Broncos, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles avoid potential off-field scandals .
Ticket sales are currently around 35,000, while Allegiant Stadium – which recently hosted the Super Bowl – can hold 65,000 fans.
The Vegas footy experiment – locked in until 2028 – will rely on heavy promotion, which is why a deal has been struck in recent days with Tim Tszyu’s promoters No Limit, US heavyweights Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) and the NRL to encouraging locals to attend. the two rugby league matches.
Australian boxer Tszyu will fight former unified world welterweight champion Keith Thurman in Las Vegas on March 30 – and as a sporting starter, fight fans have been given two-for-one tickets to the double-header this weekend.
As part of the two-way deal, Australian expats will be encouraged to see Tszyu make his Sin City debut next month.
Before flying to the US, V’Landys told 7 News that the NRL could generate “tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions over time” if the two games were an instant viewing success in the highly competitive US sports market.
Australian boxer Tim Tszyu (right) – a Rabbitohs fan – will attend the NRL double header and help promote the sport ahead of his fight against Keith Thurman in Las Vegas next month
Securing a potential betting deal with a betting company is crucial as the NRL will then be able to stream games to customers – and the code will then also receive a cut of all bets made.
In a demonstration of what’s potentially in store for NRL powerbrokers, Sunday’s matches – Sea Eagles versus the Rabbitohs (1.30pm, AEDT), followed by the Roosters tackling the Broncos (3.30pm, AEDT) – will be shown on the Fox Sports 1 channel in the ONS.
It has the staggering potential of more than 100 million viewers in America alone.
On Australian shores, only Fox League has exclusive broadcast rights to both matches, with Channel Nine only televising the second match from 3.30pm AEDT.