LVCVA to fund NHL Draft, UFC fight week for $1M

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority continued to pile onto sports as a tourism draw, approving more than $1 million in funding for three different sporting events in separate unanimous votes Tuesday.

The three sporting events are expected to attract a total of 39,500 people to the city with a total economic impact of $139.2 million. The most notable is the National Hockey League’s plan to hold its draft in Las Vegas for the first time.

The NHL’s 62nd annual draft will be at the Sphere June 28-29 and is expected to attract 4,500 out-of-town visitors. The board approved a $500,000 sponsorship.

The agreement will also provide the LVCVA with marketing assets during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The draft will air on ESPN 2 and provide the city an economic impact of $9.6 million.

“This agreement will provide the LVCVA with advertising, marketing and hospitality opportunities before, during and after the draft events,” said Lisa Motley, vice president of sports and special events for the organization, who presented all three sports sponsorship proposals.

The other events that received sponsorships are UFC International Fight Week in June and the Mountain West Basketball Championships in March 2025.

The UFC International Fight Week sponsorship of $250,000 is tied to UFC 303, includes community and charitable events, concerts, UFC’s two-day interactive fan experience, UFC X, and the annual UFC Hall of Fame award ceremony, is expected to draw 20,000 visitors to Las Vegas. The event is expected to have a $99 million economic impact on the city. It’s the 12th time the UFC event has occurred in Las Vegas.

The 2025 Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships will include 20 NCAA basketball games featuring 11 men’s and 11 women’s teams over a seven-day period March 9-15, 2025. The board authorized spending $300,000.

The tournament is expected to draw more than 15,000 out-of-town visitors and generate an estimated economic impact of $30.6 million for the city. Games will air on CBS and CBS Sports Network.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.