Foxtel’s broadcast of the NRL’s Las Vegas season opener has come and gone – setting a new benchmark for brand integration and advertising opportunities. Speaking on the impact of the event, Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany highlighted how the Las Vegas double-header has become a unique offering for advertisers, blending massive reach with deep engagement.
A grand final-level advertising opportunity
Delany likened the event to “a grand final wrapped up with a magic round,” emphasising the unparalleled advertising value of an event that delivers such high levels of pent-up demand.
“There are so many more opportunities to continue to extend the brand, to integrate all of that sort of stuff, which our advertisers are loving,” Delany said. “Last year, this was our highest-rating event ever. So it’s one thing to integrate in and have brand extensions, but when you’ve got massive reach in one day, it’s a real smash-up for advertising.”
With 50,000 fans packing Allegiant Stadium and record-breaking television ratings in Australia last year, the Las Vegas opener proved to be a crucial platform for brands looking to maximise visibility.
It’s something Delany is hoping to not only mimic this year, but build upon as well.
NRL boss Andrew Abdo and Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany
Sustaining momentum throughout the season
Beyond the single-day event, Delany emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum throughout the season.
“What you want to do is start something off and keep the momentum. The momentum stayed across all of our brands. We started with the Vegas round this year – it’s like a Super Saturday Vegas round – and then the next week, we’ve got Super Saturday. The momentum will continue across all the things we’re doing,” he said.
For advertisers, this presents a long-term opportunity to sustain engagement beyond the Vegas event, leveraging the ongoing excitement of the season. Brands that secure early placements with Foxtel can capitalise on the audience’s continued enthusiasm, something Delay says will ensure high viewership and engagement levels across multiple rounds.
Sport as the ultimate engagement driver
Foxtel’s exclusive sports content has always been a key driver of subscriptions and viewer loyalty according to Delany, but he pointed out that digital reach alone is not enough – and true engagement is what brands should prioritise.
“We always think about exclusivity in terms of driving subscription sales,” he said. “We all know these days, especially with digital, you can get a very big reach, but are you getting true engagement? And that’s the one thing sport delivers. It’s the thing that NRL delivers.”
Delany says that for brands, this means that aligning with a premium sports broadcaster, like Foxtel, ensures their messaging reaches an audience that is not just watching, but actively engaged – unlike passive digital ad impressions.
NRL fans
The long-term vision for NRL in America
The Las Vegas NRL opener is not just a short-term play – it’s part of a broader five-year strategy to introduce the sport to new markets. Delany acknowledged that while immediate advertiser interest in the US market remains uncertain, the long-term potential is significant.
“The NRL has said they’ve got a five-year plan on this, and what I’m hearing is Vegas would like to extend it beyond five years,” he noted. “It’s a very, very big tourist event, attracting people from all over the world. But, you know, it’s no small thing to put an unknown sport onto free-to-air in the US People have to go, ‘Well, I’m curious about this.’ It could take some time.”
This patience, Delany says, aligns with Foxtel’s commitment to building deep partnerships with the NRL and investing in the future of sports broadcasting.
Pictured: Patrick Delany