WHILE we seem to be making questionable decisions in this country, the NRL boss Peter V’landys is powering ahead in an effort to broaden the appeal of that competition.
The NRL’s historic double-header in Las Vegas on March 2 will be screened live on prime-time American television in what looks like one of the biggest broadcasting coups in the sport’s history.
Those games will be shown to the American public on the Fox Sports 1 channel, which reaches more than 90 million American homes.
The Souths-Manly game will be screened live to Americans at 6.30pm, followed by the Broncos-Roosters clash at 8.30pm Pacific time.
And the great thing about that is that the double-header comes after the end of the NFL season (the Super Bowl is on February 11) and before the start of the Major League Baseball season on March 20.
That gives the NRL a free hit on Fox Sports 1 at a time when American sports fans are more likely to be receptive to new content.
It’s clearly a smart move by V’landys and one that could transform the financial strength of the game down under.