Karl Fitzpatrick has urged the Betfred Super League to follow the lead of sports like Formula One when it comes to growing the fanbase.
The Warrington Wolves chief executive is currently in Las Vegas where his club are prearing to face Wigan Warriors in the opening match of this year’s rugby league showcase at Allegiant Stadium.
It will not be lost on Fitzpatrick that it is a venue which previously hosted the NFL’s Super Bowl, one of the most watched annual events on the planet, although it was a trip to the British Grand Prix which gave the 44-year-old a vision of the future.
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“I went to Silverstone last year and I’m not a big F1 fan, but the experience was incredible,” Fitzpatrick told Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast. “It was festival meets celebrity meets sport – it was madness.
“I think that’s something Super League needs to embrace. I know this is cliche, but people want to be entertained – no longer is this just a sports fixture.
“We try hard to do that… but it’s got to be more than a sporting contest, it’s got to be entertaimment and F1 certainly entertained me.”
Saturday’s showdown in Vegas is not the first time Warrington and Wigan have met on American soil, but it will be the first time Super League competition points are on the line as they break new ground for the competition.
The Warriors have given up what would have been a home game in Round 3 of the 2025 season to be part of the NRL’s Vegas experience, but otherwise it is a joint-venture between them and the Wolves.
The rewards, as well as the not unsubstantial risks, are therefore shared and Fitzpatrick outlined what it would mean for the trip to be judged a success.
“First of all in terms of brand exposure, we’ve already had that in spades,” Fitzpatrick said.
“With that, we’ve had a lot of creative marketing off the back of that which not only grabs attention but opens wallets as well.
“We’ve had a number of new commercial partners who have potentially got on board because of what we’re doing and other things as well. It’s brand exposure, but we want a commercial return as well.”
The observant will have noticed what it would mean for rugby league as a sport did not feature in that list.
Fitzpatrick, however, had a retort for those who doubt what the long-term benefits for Super League and the wider game could be.
“As a sport, we very rarely disappoint,” Fitzpatrick said. “Whistle to whistle, we’re sensational.
“Apple didn’t invent the first MP3 player, they positioned it and marketed it better than anyone else and I think what we’ve got better than most sports is the on-field product is sensational.
“We just need to position it, dress it and market it in a better way, and hopefully playing this game in Vegas helps that.”
