NRL Publishes Las Vegas Event Figures

The National Rugby League’s decision to tap into the US market has turned up some very favorable figures, sparking optimism about the overseas future of the sport. As the season kicked off on American soil for the first time ever, ratings showed that the idea of running an NRL competition outside Australia and New Zealand might not be so crazy after all.

According to the league, 4.11 million Australian fans watched the competition on TV, which is a number that is only occasionally achieved by Origin games. The Sydney Roosters’ victory over the Brisbane Broncos attracted the highest viewership for a season opener ever, marking an increase of over 10% from the previous record.

According to league statistics, 40,746 fans attended the season opener at Allegiant Stadium. Data shows that 15,000+ tickets were purchased in Australia and over 23,000 tickets were purchased in the USA. Overall, the NRL’s foray into the USA was attended by people from 31 countries.

Additionally, 44,000+ fans from the US and Canada visited NRL.com and the NRL app.  On social media, interest was even higher as 9.1 million people watched NRL Las Vegas-related video content since August 2023. Furthermore, the “field installation” video had 2.3 million views and more than 100,000 engagements.

In addition, the game between the Roosters and the Broncos was the most watched regular-season game ever. To top it off, ratings in the US were comparable with MLS ratings as an average of 44,000 American fans viewed the game between the Roosters and the Broncos on Fox1.

The Roosters versus the Broncos and the Sea Eagles vs Rabbitohs were notably the two most watched NRL matches in the US on record.

The Event Was Covered by Many Notable News Outlets

The NRL also reported that there were more than 100 separate pieces of US media coverage during the event week and post-event. The games were covered by all of Las Vegas’ main media outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX5, Las Vegas Review Journal and multiple radio networks.

In the US, the event was covered by media giants, such as the New York Post, Associated Press, Forbes, Fox News, Fox Sports, Washington Post, ESPN and ABC, among others.

Additionally, more than 10,000 NRL Las Vegas-branded merchandise items were sold in Sin City during the event week. The most popular item, the NRL said, was the US-branded Steeden football.