Naming rights sale sees Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium rebranded as Go Media Stadium

Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium is being rebranded as part of sponsorship deal with outdoor advertising company Go Media.

Auckland Stadiums, which is a part of the council’s Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, has agreed the naming rights agreement with the outdoor advertising company for 12 months, with a view to making it a multiyear arrangement.

As part of the deal, the home of the Warriors and Moana Pasifika teams will be known as Go Media Stadium Mt Smart.

Go Media already works closely with Moana Pasifika.

Commenting on the deal, Tātaki Auckland Unlimited Stadiums Director, James Parkinson stated “it was important for us to find a partner that complements and enhances what we do at the stadium, as well as being able to add value to the community, our whole organisation and the sports, events and entertainment teams who rely on us as host and as a world-class venue.”

The new name, which covers the main 30,000-capacity venue, does not affect the legal name of the site, Mt Smart (Rarotonga) Doman.

Without a naming rights sponsor since a deal ended with telecommunications company Ericsson in 2006, Parkinson added that Auckland Stadiums is keen to attract more sponsorship, noting “from a venue perspective, a naming rights partner is something we’ve been focussed on looking to achieve and something we’ve been deliberate in the way we’ve gone about it.”

As part of the arrangement, Go Media, which already works closely with Moana Pasifika, hopes to help bring more sporting events to the stadium through their connections, including extra NRL games.

Go Media Managing Director, Mike Gray commented “we’ve got a commercial relationship with Auckland Stadiums.

“As a company we sponsor lots of sport and we have a relationship with the tenants of the stadium, so Moana Pasifika, we’re a sponsor of the Warriors Community Trust and New Zealand Football, who recently played China there.

“So they asked us to help find them a naming rights sponsor, because we deal with the media agencies that have all the big brands.

“In trying to understand what was available, I started thinking this would interest me, because for us it’s a natural progression.

“As a brand, it’s quite hard to get a naming rights partner that doesn’t create conflict. It could create conflict, with New Zealand Rugby, World Rugby or the Warriors’ sponsors.

“But we’re very neutral and that became one of the strong benefits.”

Images: Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium with its new branding (top) and James Parkinson from Auckland Stadiums, Go Media Managing Director Mike Gray and Go Media Director Andrea Rongonui mark the naming rights sponsorship deal (below). Credit: Supplied.