National Finals Rodeo Averaging 17,454 Fans A Night With Three Performances To Go In Las Vegas
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Jeff Goulding
This time, Las Vegas Events and the pro rodeo cowboys took care of business in harmony to extend the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas through 2035.
You might recall in 2014 that Las Vegas Events and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) — the NFR’s sanctioning body — tussled over keeping the Super Bowl of rodeos in Vegas with the PRCA saying it was looking at Kissimmee, Florida and Dallas as a potential future home. Las Vegas Events and PRCA eventually reached a deal to keep the 10-day rodeo event in Las Vegas.
This time around, things went smoother — and ahead of schedule.
Las Vegas Events President Tim Keener told LVSportsBiz.com during the NFR’s seventh performance that LVE and PRCA began talking a year ago about extending the current relationship trough 2035.
Last week, both sides announced a ten-year deal and Keener said there will be a ceremony on the dirt before Friday’s performance to celebrate the cowboys’ continued business relationship with Las Vegas.
The rodeo is a nightly sellout and the tickets are affordable compared to many other sports events. There are $120 and $85 seats at Thomas & Mack Center, with an access only ticket selling for $70 that allow fans to roam the concourse or gain entry into two sports bars in the arena. Here are the daily attendance numbers
Friday: 17,675
Saturday: 17,693
Sunday: 17,625
Monday: 17,362
Tuesday: 17,183
Wednesday: 17,185
With seat capacity at about 17,000, the rodeo can sell up to 1,000 access only tickets, which are like standing room only tickets at Hyde Lounge at Vegas Golden Knights hockey games at T-Mobile Arena. Keener said the rode can sell out all 1,000 of tickets on the weekends and about 500-600 during the week.
He figured demand for NFR tickets is in the 17,500-20,000 range, but he noted it’s tricky to identify a magic number that is the ideal number of seats.
There are arenas with bigger capacity. But Thomas & Mack has several qualities that set the arena apart, Keener said.
Thomas & Mack’s two entry/exit tunnels, excellent sight lines in an intimate rodeo venue and outdoor access on university intramural sports fields for the rodeo animals makes the UNLV arena a top site to house National Finals Rodeo, Keener explained.
Keener took a look at T-Mobile Arena two miles away on the Strip and the proposed Oak View Group NBA arena at Las Vegas Boulevard and Blue Diamond Road. He still likes Thomas & Mack.
