Las Vegas Embraces BFF Role With NFL, All-In For Super Bowl, Draft, Raiders
Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 02:40PM By Barry Janoff
January 30, 2020: With the Raiders officially in town, the Draft coming in April and $2 billion Allegiant Stadium opening in August — and with the strong possiblity of hosting a Super Bowl in 2025 — Las Vegas is fully embracing its role as the NFL’s newest BFF.
To enhance the relationship, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority will make an appearance on national TV for the first time during Super Bowl Sunday, airing a pre-game 30-second spot, “Key of Vegas,” to also help introduce the tag line, "What Happens Here, Only Happens Here.”
The spotlight includes such stars as Las Vegas residency artists Shania Twain, Christina Aguilera and Aerosmith; as well as UFC heavyweight fighter Francis Ngannou, Lady Gaga's bandleader, Brian Newman; and scenes from various distinctly Vegas shows.
All of which is relatively new territory for Las Vegas.
“The National Football League and Las Vegas have had an evolving relationship over the last several decades,” according to the LVCVA.
“In previous years, the league hasn't allowed the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to advertise during the Super Bowl. But with the arrival of the Las Vegas Raiders and the 2018 change in the law that allowed commercial sports betting, the league is welcoming Las Vegas to its biggest stage.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018, the American Gaming Assn. said that more than $17 billion has been legally wagered on sports.
The AGA said the NFL could earn approximately $2.3 billion annually due to increased fan engagement from sports betting.
A record 26 million adults in the U.S. say they will wager on this year's Super Bowl, three million more vs. last year, according to AGA.
AGA also said people would wager approximately $6.8 billion on the game Feb. 2,
The NFL has official deals that include Caesars Entertainment — which also has deals with the Raiders and Allegiant Stadium — DraftKings and Sportsradar; and numerous teams also have official sports betting partners.
“We’re going to be great for the community, and I think the community's going to be great for us,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said during his State of the League address on Wednesday in Miami, the site of Super Bowl LIV.
“Las Vegas is growing and I think becoming a much more diverse city than it has in the past, and we are anxious to be part of that.”
Goodell said that the reception from Vegas “has really been tremendous. You can see it with the fans and their reaction not only in ticket sales, but you see it from the business community and how they're wrapping their arms around this team. We think it's going to be a great success."
In addition to the first NFL Draft to be held in Las Vegas (April 23-25), the league likely is considering having a Super Bowl there as part of its strategy to reward teams with new stadiums.
SoFi Stadium, which for the 2020 season becomes the new home for the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, already has been named as host venue for Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
The next available Big Game is Super Bowl LIX in 2025.
“We're anxious to be there,” said Goodell. “As you know, we'll be having the Draft there which will be a good start.
“We should get through the Draft before we focus on the Super Bowl, but that is coming quickly, and our attempt to move to the next Super Bowl probably will be done before the calendar year here in 2020."
“Las Vegas is growing and I think becoming a much more diverse city than it has in the past, and we are anxious to be part of that.”
As part of the LVCVA multi-media campaign, the new tag replaces the iconic, “What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.”
"We are excited to welcome the NFL to Las Vegas in 2020 with the Raiders inaugural season this fall and the NFL Draft coming in April," Steve Hill, CEO and president for the LVCVA, said via the organization.
"This is a partnership that continues to grow and is another big reason the destination is a mecca for sports fans, who flock to Las Vegas every year for an experience that only happens here."
In “Key of Vegas,” the various stars bring the new tag line to life.
“What happens here is a symphony written for the bold and the daredevils. It has a melody only the fearless can handle. Upbeat. Offbeat, to your own rhythm. To lift the mask of sameness and find the music within you. To live life in a different key. Here, you don’ need permission from anyone . . . except yourself.”
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, onstage at a Vegas concert, then yells to the audience, “"What happens here . . . “ to which the audience screams, “Only happens here!”
NFL Plans Las Vegas Extravaganza For 2020 Draft