NFL legend stars in NRL commercial to promote Las Vegas 2025 season opener to America

NFL legend Rob Gronkowski sells NRL’s Las Vegas season opener in a groundbreaking commercial that spruiks “no pads, no armour, no time-outs.”

Rob Gronkowski is helping promote the NRL's Las Vegas season opener.

The NRL has gone all out in its latest Las Vegas campaign, securing one of the biggest names in American sports to promote its upcoming 2025 season opener.

NFL legend Rob Gronkowski has lent his voice to help promote rugby league in the US as part of an advertising blitz ahead of the four-game extravaganza.

Gronkowski is front and centre of the advertisement, which is expected to hit US screens this weekend and be shown during NFL matches watched by millions of people.

The retired NFL megastar – who was Tom Brady’s go-to-guy during their Super Bowl-winning run with New England and Tampa Bay – describes some of the biggest rugby league action in the 30-second advertisement, which features NRL and Super League highlights plus footage of Australia’s women’s team, the Jillaroos.

The NRL 2025 Las Vegas ad featuring Rob Gronkowski.

Introduced as a “rugby league expert”, Gronkowski explains to US fans the high-octane action heading their way in March.

“You feel that?,” Gronkowski asks as footage rolls of Canberra prop Joseph Tapine crunching Brisbane fullback Reece Walsh in a brutal tackle.

“That’s your off-season sorted. It’s football, but not as you know it.

“No pads, no armour, no time-outs.”

That’s followed by North Queensland wrecking ball Jason Taumalolo levelling Leo Thompson, and monster hits involving Canterbury’s Viliame Kikau and Penrith’s Moses Leota.

“The very best rugby league players from around the world collide in Las Vegas. Eight teams, four games. That’s one epic ticket,” Gronkowski says.

“Get your football fix with rugby league in Las Vegas.”

The NRL dipped into its extensive highlight reel from the 2024 season to provide footage for the commercial, including Melbourne Storm winger Xavier Coates’ airborne effort to score against New Zealand in one of the game’s greatest finishes.

It’s followed up with a similar leaping tryscoring effort from Cronulla’s Sione Katoa scoring a try and a ridiculous AFL-style mark and put down from Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

Gronkowski is no stranger to the NRL. He helped launch the inaugural double header earlier this year. Gronkowski rubbed shoulders with Aaron Woods and Billy Walters in Los Angeles during a promotional visit.

Gronkowski does the “Gronk spike” touchdown celebration.

Xavier Coates’ stunning try is prominent in the commercial. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

He did his trademark “Gronk Spike” with a rugby league ball after being presented with a Manly jersey with his name on it by Woods.

The four-game schedule at Allegiant Stadium will be broadcast live in Australia on Fox League, and give American fans 10 hours of action across major US networks.

The Raiders and Warriors match will be broadcast live on Fox Broadcast Network in the US. It will be the first time a premiership match has been broadcast on the network in the US.

The Panthers and Sharks game and the Jillaroos and England fixture will be shown on Fox Sports 1, while the UK Super League match between the Sam Burgess-coached Warrington and Wigan will be televised on Fox Sports Soccer.

Close to 30,000 tickets have been sold already for the event, which will kickstart the NRL season on March 2 here in Australia.