NRL Chief Expresses Huge Pride in Viewing Figures, Revealing a 510% Surge Following Return to Las Vegas

TV ratings for Saturday night (Sunday AEDT) in the US have been released, revealing that rugby league has made a significant impact in Las Vegas.

The NRL resumed its quest to engage the American audience by launching the premiership season, resulting in a remarkable 510 per cent surge in viewership for the opening NRL match.

The Raiders clinched a commanding 30-8 win over the Warriors, which was broadcast on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, drawing in a total of 371,000 viewers on the FOX free-to-air network.

When factoring in viewers on the international streaming service Watch NRL, the total audience for the Raiders vs Warriors match is believed to have topped 400,000 across the US.

Notably, that figure surpasses the number of fans the Warriors attract in New Zealand.

In its first attempt last year, the most-watched NRL match was the matchup between the Rabbitohs and the Sea Eagles, which only managed an average audience of 61,000 — well below NRL’s expectations.

The pilot year’s ratings indicated a modest interest from American viewers, with numbers declining as the double-header progressed.

Catch the 2025 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.

However, a year later, the NRL has experienced substantial year-on-year growth, and if this positive trajectory continues, the sport could rival other major leagues by the end of its five-year agreement with Las Vegas.

Similar to the NRL, Formula 1 is also focused on breaking into the US market.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix in November attracted an audience of 951,000 on ESPN.

However, mirroring the drop in viewers seen last year for rugby league, the second NRL match at Allegiant Stadium, featuring the Panthers and Sharks, recorded only 33,000 viewers.

It’s thought that the lopsided women’s Test match between the Jillaroos and England, which ended 90-4, may have influenced the ratings as many viewers tuned out.

The high-scoring Super League fixture between Wigan and Warrington did not have ratings available because it was shown on the FOX Soccer Plus channel.

Despite these variables, the NRL double-header still brought in over 400,000 American viewers for FOX, enough to catch the interest of competing US broadcasters.

In Australia, viewership on Nine and Fox Sports is anticipated to reach around 2 million, including approximately 300,000 from New Zealand.

With Nine showcasing the Jillaroos and the Panthers vs Sharks live and free, the women’s Test has set a record for the most-watched international women’s rugby league match, while the NRL giants attracted the largest TV audience for a regular NRL season game in Australian history.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo expressed his satisfaction with the results from Vegas but reiterated that achieving the league’s long-term goals will require time.

“I’m incredibly proud of our progress in the US,” he stated.

“With the largest crowd for a season opener in 15 years, the substantial increase in television audience gives us greater momentum to promote rugby league to Americans… our challenge now is to maintain that momentum.”

The initiative is set to continue in 2026, with teams like the Bulldogs and Dragons rumoured to be making the journey to Sin City.