NFL Will Have Team in Las Vegas But Bans Strip from TV Commercials Promoting Las Vegas During Broadcasts of Games

By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com

 

The NFL happily approved the Raiders’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas — home of the world-famous Strip.

 

So, you would think the NFL would gladly accept a check from Las Vegas advertising exec Rob Dondero, who would like nothing better than to make a juicy ad buy for a TV spot during NFL games that would show the Strip to promote Las Vegas to the NFL’s millions of viewers.

 

But unbelievably, the NFL will not accept a TV commercial showing the Strip — a vestige from the NFL’s perception that it’s not a good idea to be associated with gambling.

 

Dondero, executive vp of R&R Partners, the advertising and marketing company of record for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), said during a sports business summit event Wednesday that the NFL will not accept a TV commercial promoting Las Vegas if it includes the Strip.

 

The NFL will “not let us show a shot of the Strip,” Dondero told summit attendees. “I guarantee we’ll find ways to get our points across.”

 

“They said we can include Red Rock,” Dondero told LVSportsBiz.com during a lunch break at the sports business gathering put on by the LVCVA, the Las Vegas public tourism agency charged with drawing visitors to Southern Nevada. Banning the Strip from TV spots during NFL games seems silly when you consider Las Vegas — and probably venues along or near the Strip — will host the 2020 NFL draft. 

 

And the Raiders stadium is being built a 15-minute walk to the Strip, on the west side of Interstate 15 across from the highway from Mandalay Bay.

 

Dondero was on hand to discuss sports and branding — just one of many speakers throughout the day-long program held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is managed by the LVCVA.

 

Some of the well-known local speakers such as Jonas Peterson, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, and Raiders stadium consultant/economics analyst Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis, offered boiler plate slide show overviews touting the sports scene and serving as a quasi-pep session to promote Las Vegas as a sports destination.

 

There were many economic impact and spending numbers cited for sports events and publicly-subsidized sports venues without any mention of methodology of how the economic numbers were reached. Many academic sports economists argue sports-related economic spending numbers are inflated by event organizers and tourism promoters to influence and justify public policies on using public money for sports stadiums and events.

 

The day offered some interesting newsy sports nuggets from other speakers, including MGM Resorts International executive Mark Prows. He offered a personal opinion that an NBA team might move to Las Vegas in about five years and cautioned that the market not get too far ahead of itself after the Raiders arrive in 2020. The Raiders are building a $1.8 billion domed stadium project thanks to a $750 million public subsidy from Southern Nevada. It appears as if the Raiders will play at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in 2019 before moving to Las Vegas in 2020.

 

For example, Prows noted, MGM Resorts International and arena partner AEG designed T-Mobile Arena with only one level of suites because the Las Vegas market does not have a big roster of corporations and businesses evident in larger markets such as a NY or LA.  LVSportsBiz.com also suggests that Las Vegas take a breather for a few years after the Raiders get here in 2020 on hosting an NBA or MLB team to make sure the 40th biggest market of 2.2 million residents and the business community can support major league sports teams with ticket purchases and sponsorship buys.

 

Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, the LVCVA’s non-profit events organizing arm, estimated that 30-35 percent of the visitors to the Raiders games would be visitors to Las Vegas. That sounds realistic because the Raiders have fan bases from Northern California, Southern California and from regions across the country.

 

Dondero, the brand guy, said the Raiders brand was an ideal match for the Las Vegas market.

 

The sports business sessions come during a busy week for sports in Las Vegas, which this week hosts a NASCAR weekend, UFC 235, two more Golden Knights home games and the USA Sevens rugby tournament, which is expected to draw 80,000 visitors including many international tourists. LVSportsBiz.com spoke with Rob Cornelius, vice president of business development who has worked hard at trying to grow the rugby event in Las Vegas. He spoke with LVSportsBiz.com about the USA Sevens event.

 

Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz was the keynote speaker during the summit lunch. He gave a talk on the VGK culture — a presentation he has given to many local groups and businesses. Bubolz stressed that he likes to get involved with all aspects like ticket sales, sponsorships and game presentation and that great ideas can come from any level of the organization.

 

Bubolz said he said recent Golden Knights game visitor Michael J. Fox, who sounded the siren to start a period during a VGK game, will be back.

 

And he the NHL has taken notice of the Golden Knights’ business approach. “What’s happening here is helping the profile of the league.”

The sports business summit was also a networking opportunity for people.  The LVCVA is promoting what it’s calling the Ultimate Vegas Sports Weekend with a free FAN FEST at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center Thursday from 3-6 pm. A press release says the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center will be transformed into a sports fan’s dream zone with interactive experiences, athlete appearances, prize giveaways and more from all of the featured sports including NASCAR, USA Sevens Rugby, Vegas Golden Knights, UFC, Tuff Hedeman Bull Riding Tour as well as the Las Vegas Lights FC, Aces, Aviators, UNLV, Boyd Gaming, Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame and more.

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